Document gericht aan M.J. Sanou Possibly 1943

This receipt, printed by the Centrale Dienst voor de Levensmiddelenvoorziening in Amsterdam on March 16, 1943, is made from paper, a cheap and commonplace material. The processes involved in its making—typesetting, printing, handwriting—are similarly workaday. Yet, this innocuous piece of paper speaks volumes about the social context of its production. "Levensmiddelenvoorziening" translates to "food supply," and this document relates to a deposit for "aardappelhandelaren" or "potato traders." It was issued during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, a time of severe food shortages and rationing. This receipt shows a deposit of 300 guilders. The document is a stark reminder of how even the most basic needs—food, and the means to obtain it—become deeply politicized in times of conflict. This simple artifact offers a glimpse into the daily struggles of people living under occupation, and how something as ordinary as a potato could become a precious commodity, subject to state control. It challenges us to consider the social and political dimensions embedded in even the most mundane objects.