Eindhoven is kicking off a renewed commemoration 80 years after its liberation by the Allied troops. The idea is that the city should become more aware of its freedom, especially the younger generations. In doing so, the city should learn to deal with the fact that the word freedom can have different meanings for the many different groups in the city.
“We are confronted with a social development in which everyone is becoming increasingly individualistic”, Peter Kemp, chairman of Stichting (foundation) 18 September says. “At the same time, we see that the way in which liberation is celebrated has been the same for almost 80 years. That observation, together with the individualisation of society, means that we want to renew the concept”.
Connection
For Hans Matheeuwsen of Vredesburo (peace bureau), the renewal is a déjà vu. About twenty years ago, Eindhoven also wanted to broaden the commemoration, so that new groups in the city could also be involved.
“The municipality wanted to give the commemoration a more ‘urban character’ at the time: they wanted to look more towards the future. The world is changing, society is changing and there are people living in Eindhoven who come from completely different areas, who do not have the same connection with the Second World War that we do”.
“We tried to change that for a few years at the time, but that did not go very well”, Matheeuwsen says. “We organised a large market on Stadhuisplein, but no one came. We hired a well-known DJ who attracted young people, but those young people only came to party”.
Nevertheless, Peter Kemp thinks that talking to each other can have a soothing social effect. “If you talk about freedom every day, you learn to deal better with the fact that we can have different opinions. That improves the quality of life in the city”.
Hate
Discussions about sensitive political topics do not have to be part of those conversations. But what should be? Martijn Docters, the initiator of Holocaust Museum Het Hornemann Huis (house) that recently moved into former Designhuis, has an idea about that. “The rise of anti-Semitism since 7 October for example. People don’t even dare to wear a yarmulke on the street anymore. It’s terrible. Homophobia is back in full force, just look at the attack on COC Eindhoven*. We can only do something about it by making it a topic of discussion”.
Cradle
Even though it involves trial and error, Docters notes. “A boy from grammar (upper secondary) schools who visited here with his school shouted: ‘Hitler didn’t do his job well at all. All Jews should have been gassed.’ He didn’t make up a comment like that himself, of course, but where is your cradle? You get your ideas from where you are born”.
Another example: “I regularly visit Islamic schools, the youngest are 12, but they don’t know anything about the Second World War. But they do know the story of war. Think of Syria, Afghanistan, that’s why they are here. There are children from Syria there and they told their story. Something like that is very profound, it does teach us how to talk to each other about this theme”.
Tools
According to Matheeuwsen of Vredesburo, the role such as the Hornemann Huis has is of great importance. “The government believes that we as citizens should be able to do things to change. But half of the people say: “I can’t, I don’t want to, I don’t dare”. While it is expected that people can do that just like that. But you have to equip people for that”.
“We can’t suddenly say: on Monday we have to communicate well with each other. You have to work on it. Even when it comes to liberation, freedom: then you have to say: we opt for a long process in which we can gradually grow towards something”.
The difficulty in communicating with each other does not only concern the different cultures in the city. The economic division is also visible in society. “I see it with the different schools that visit the Hornemann Huis here”, Docters says. “Children from Vaartbroek district cannot communicate with children from Woensel-West. Those two come from such different environments that they cannot understand each other”.
“In that respect too, it is often decisive where you are born. Those worlds are at odds with each other. And often the people from Woensel-West work for the people from Karpendonk, who are higher up in the Christmas tree. If you are born in Karpendonk, there is a good chance that you will end up there or at least in a similar place, and that applies equally to those born in Woensel-West.”
Justice
And with that economic inequality lies a greater danger, Matheeuwsen thinks. “The philosopher Jürgen Habermas said: there can only be a dialogue between people if there is no difference in power. How can someone with a nice house, a nice wife and a good salary really understand someone about the fact that he is financially broke and has almost no future”.
“We therefore also have to talk about what is just. You cannot tell people to talk about peace or safety or respect when they are in a situation where many unjust things happen to them”, Matheeuwsen says.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
*COC Nederland, officially: Federatie COC Nederland or COC for short, is a Dutch advocacy organisation for homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and people with an intersex condition, in short LGBTI’s. It is the oldest existing advocacy organisation for LGBTI’s in the world. As of 2020, the federative association COC Nederland includes twenty local COC associations, which together have approximately 8000 members.The COC Netherlands federation is active in many areas, with an emphasis on youth & school, 50plus, (political) advocacy, safety, culture & faith and international advocacy. The practical implementation of this is also done by the local associations, which also function as meeting places for the local LGBTI community.
