Publiek luistert naar een toespraak van Hitler Possibly 1940 - 1947

This photograph, taken by Polygoon, captures a crowd listening to Hitler's speech in Amsterdam. It's all in black and white, which gives it this timeless, ghostly feel. Looking at this, I think about the photographer in that moment. What was it like to be present? How did they process the reality they were capturing? So many people standing there, their backs turned to us, yet fully present. I think about the limitations of photography. The act of choosing what to include and what to exclude. There's a signpost, part of a building... It tells a story about everyday life continuing even as this momentous, awful event unfolds. It's like a reminder that history isn't just about big events. It's about the small details too. It’s a stark moment of humanity, captured, forever in conversation with the future.