Foto behorend bij album Kriegserinnerungen 1940 - 1945

This photograph is part of a “War Memories” album, of unknown date and maker, held at the Rijksmuseum. Its visual simplicity belies the complex historical and personal narratives enmeshed in the image. In the black and white photograph, three women flank a smiling soldier. His uniform and insignia signify his role within the Nazi regime, during a time of immense suffering. The women’s smiles complicate the image, making us wonder about the nature of their relationships and their understanding of the unfolding history. As an anonymous work, this image prompts us to reflect on individual experiences during wartime, particularly those of women whose stories are often overshadowed in traditional historical accounts. What did collaboration mean at this time? What choices were these women able to make? How did the political intersect with the personal? This photograph acts as a stark reminder of the blurred lines between personal lives and political ideologies. Its emotional weight lies in the recognition of human complexity, and the uncomfortable questions it raises about complicity, survival, and memory.