In a poignant speech during a Holocaust commemoration, the mayor highlighted the need for collective acknowledgment of past injustices and the ongoing fight against antisemitism.
Amsterdam’s Mayor Acknowledges City’s Historic Complicity in Holocaust Atrocities
Amsterdam’s Mayor Acknowledges City’s Historic Complicity in Holocaust Atrocities
Mayor Femke Halsema issues a heartfelt apology for the city's failure to protect its Jewish community during World War II.
In a significant gesture, Amsterdam's Mayor Femke Halsema has formally apologized for the city's complicity in the Holocaust, acknowledging the grievous failures of local officials during World War II. Speaking at a Holocaust memorial event on April 24, 2025, she expressed regret for the “horrible abandonment” of Amsterdam’s Jewish residents, more than 60,000 of whom were deported and murdered.
“Antisemitism was not introduced in the Netherlands by the Nazi occupiers, and it did not vanish with the liberation,” Mayor Halsema emphasized, marking a call for reflection on the long-standing presence of antisemitism in Dutch society. With approximately 80,000 Jewish citizens before the war, the Nazi efforts, in collaboration with local authorities, resulted in the tragic loss of a significant portion of this community.
During her address, Halsema criticized the city government's past actions, stating that their response was neither heroic nor humane. "Instead, local officials were cold and formalistic,” she remarked. “They collaborated with the Nazis, which played a pivotal role in the isolation, humiliation, and eventual extermination of the Jewish population.”
The commemoration took place at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theater repurposed by the Nazis into a deportation center for Jewish citizens. Halsema's apology serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging historical injustices and the necessity to combat current forms of antisemitism, ensuring that such atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated.
By confronting the past, Amsterdam seeks to foster a more inclusive future, advocating for remembrance and resilience within its multicultural fabric.
“Antisemitism was not introduced in the Netherlands by the Nazi occupiers, and it did not vanish with the liberation,” Mayor Halsema emphasized, marking a call for reflection on the long-standing presence of antisemitism in Dutch society. With approximately 80,000 Jewish citizens before the war, the Nazi efforts, in collaboration with local authorities, resulted in the tragic loss of a significant portion of this community.
During her address, Halsema criticized the city government's past actions, stating that their response was neither heroic nor humane. "Instead, local officials were cold and formalistic,” she remarked. “They collaborated with the Nazis, which played a pivotal role in the isolation, humiliation, and eventual extermination of the Jewish population.”
The commemoration took place at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theater repurposed by the Nazis into a deportation center for Jewish citizens. Halsema's apology serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging historical injustices and the necessity to combat current forms of antisemitism, ensuring that such atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated.
By confronting the past, Amsterdam seeks to foster a more inclusive future, advocating for remembrance and resilience within its multicultural fabric.
