In 2015, visitors of the National Military Museum could experience a unique temporary exhibition called: The summer of ‘45.
The exhibition The summer of ‘45 is based on a portrait of Dutch life filmed in colour (!) in the summer months immediately following the liberation. Film-maker Alex Roosdorp and his wift cycled 1,000 kilometers through the Netherlands. As they went, he filmed the results of the German occupation: home built in hen coops, children playing with abandoned ammunition and weapons, but also tentative signs of repairs being carried out to damaged homes. Roosdorp’s documentary lay unnoticed in the archives of the EYE film museum for over 50 years.
Incorporating objects from its own collection, the National Military Museum has turned it into a remarkable exhibition, in which movie images, music and objects bring a unique moment in Dutch history to life.
Photography: Anne Reitsma