The 1940's now in 3D!

On Sunday, we enjoyed  "Wild Wonders of Europe"the al fresco photography exhibition showing 100 blown-up images of the continent’s natural world. Who knew that Europe had wildlife? I have seen rabbits, squirrels and various birds (including gargantuan noisy seagulls on steroids) in The Hague but that‘s about it. Now we see wolves, bears, bison, wild boars, vultures, bats (yuck), bees and more. Many of these biggish animals hang out in Scandinavia. Apparently wildlife is coming back to Europe, not coming back in fashion, but increasing in numbers because better decisions have been made in the last 30 years with regards to conservation. The aim of the exhibition was to increase awareness of the need to protect Europe’s wildlife and to work towards more sustainable farming and fishing practices.

The exhibition is located outdoors on the Lange Vijverberg, a regal street with a hundred trees alongside the Hofvijver which is the rectangular pond beside the parliament buildings and the Mauritshuis. This is an elegant area of The Hague and the photography is beautiful – I would love to have their knack ( and to be able to traipse around the wilderness of Europe and get paid for it too).

Also by the Hofvijver, is Haags Historisch Museum (The Hague Historical Museum). I have tried to visit before but was told “there is nothing in English”, so didn’t feel particularly welcome. Now they have a temporary photography exhibition on “War and Liberation in 3D” which I have been told is good (by another non-Dutch), so we go. Still not much in English, but we get the idea. The photographer is Wim Berssenbrugge (1917-2007) who worked for the Dutch resistance in The Hague during World War II. A self portrait shows him to be a platinum blonde steel rim spectacled fellow, a spitting image for Rolf – Liesel’s love interest in The Sound of Music. He copied messages onto microfilm for the Allies about the launch of V2 rockets. With his intel, the Royal Air Force tried to bomb the Haagse Bos, the area that was used by the Germans to launch V1and V2 rockets but they stuffed up and bombed the Bezuidenhout, a residential area, killing 500 people in the Hague.

It was previously unknown that Wim had taken 229 stereo slides of wartime daily life, the V2 rocket and The Hague liberation. And all in colour - wow. His widow offered the slides to the museum allowing us to see the images in 3D with high tech cardboard 3D glasses and all. I love the women’s wartime glamour: knee length skirts, loose blouses, ankle socks and smooth hair with tight pin curls and bright matte red lipstick. It's a nice shade of lippie but they have probably discontinued the colour by now.  I liked the 3D slides of young friends relaxing on classic wooden boats at Scheveningen in the 40’s. The girls wore bikini tops and loose high waisted trousers - a bit of a daggy ensemble, but they were having fun. In another room we see images of V2 rockets being fired, of Canadian reconnaissance vehicles motoring down the main drag of The Hague, of the German’s retreating through The Hague’s streets and of the Dutch fascist party office records going up in flames - all in 3D. And an actual 14 metre V2 rocket was inside the museum.

The Netherlands declared itself neutral during World War 2, but the German’s invaded in 1940 anyway. The German’s bombed Rotterdam and fearing the bombing of more cities, the Dutch surrendered on the 15th May 1940. Dutch Jews were persecuted (there were concentration camps in the Netherlands) and civilians were forced to work in German factories that were bombed by the Allies. The Dutch resistance worked in counter intelligence, communication with the Allies, domestic sabotage and many risked their lives to hide and give refuge to Jews. The Canadian’s liberated the Netherlands in 1945, just 65 years ago.

P.S. I recommend “The Assault” by Dutch author Harry Mulisch which was partially set in this time. And it’s been translated into English which makes it a much more enjoyable read if you find reading Dutch a bit boring.