Textile Tales From The Second World War

Volendam-style skirt worn during celebrations of the liberation of the Netherlands in May 1945. Volendam-style skirt worn during celebrations of the liberation of the Netherlands in May 1945. TRC 2020.0592a
Published in Textile tales from the Second World War

10. The liberation

The period immediately after the liberation was a festive and special time for many people, although the scarcity and poverty continued. But there was another side: apart from civilians and military killed in the war, more than 100,000 Dutch Jewish people did not return from the extermination camps in Nazi Germany.

Liberation parties

At the liberation celebrations, during which the Allies were festively welcomed, many people wore clothes in red-white-blue or orange, recalling the colours of the national Dutch flag. Many people obviously had kept hidden some textiles in those colours. Pins and other jewellery in the same colours  were worn and children were being dressed up in festive garments. At one of these parties, in Leiden, a little girl wore a Volendam-style outfit, which is now housed in the TRC collection. The little girl wearing the outfit visited the TRC and was photographed together with her Volendam outfit (see the TRC blog A fancy-dress outfit for a little girl from May 1945: reunited (Gillian Vogelsang, 7 September 2020).

Sweetheart souvenirs

Most of the soldiers who liberated the Netherlands and the rest of Europe came from America and Canada and were often away from home for a long time. Many soldiers therefore made or bought sweetheart souvenirs, such as scarves or jewellery, for their loved ones at home. Army units also produced their own sweetheart mementoes for their men, such as the R.E.M.E. scarf in this exhibition (TRC 2020.3715)

2020.3020a bPair of miniature Dutch wooden clogs, probably bought as a souvenir by a British soldier and sent home as a souvenir. (TRC 2020.3020a-b). For more information, click on the illustration.Liberation clogs

Many Dutch people gave home-made souvenirs to Allied soldiers to commemorate the liberation, such as painted clogs. These could be real clogs or miniature versions. Often it was engraved with the date "1945".

Coin jewellery

Between 1943 and 1945, the Dutch government in exile ordered large quantities of silver coins with the image of Queen Wilhelmina to be minted in the USA. On the coins, a letter below the year indicates where the coin was struck, D stands for Denver, P for Philadelphia and S for San Francisco. The coins were sent to the Netherlands after the liberation. Just as during the war, many people made coin jewellery from these coins to express their orange spirit.

For silver jewellery, see also the TRC blog, 'Dutch jewellery with silver coins from the Second World War', by Gillian Vogelsang, 20 September 2020.

Image Gallery

Small blue blouse, the Netherlands, 1940's. Part of a red-white-blue outfit worn in Leiden during the celebrations of May 1945.

Small blue blouse, the Netherlands, 1940's. Part of a red-white-blue outfit worn in Leiden during the celebrations of May 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2010.0567
Small apron with orange-coloured smocked bin, the Netherlands, 1940's.

Small apron with orange-coloured smocked bin, the Netherlands, 1940's.

For more information, click here: TRC 2010.0569
Cotton bow, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

Cotton bow, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2019.1780b
Child's bib, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

Child's bib, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2019.1780c
Child's headdress, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

Child's headdress, worn in Leiden during liberation celebrations in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2019.1780d
Bracelet with coins minted in Philadelphia, bearing the image of Queen Wilhelmina. 1940's.

Bracelet with coins minted in Philadelphia, bearing the image of Queen Wilhelmina. 1940's.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0566
Photograph of American soldier from New York meeting her grandparents in Schoondyke, Zeeland.

Photograph of American soldier from New York meeting her grandparents in Schoondyke, Zeeland.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0574
Skirt made of red, white and purple (blue) bands, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Skirt made of red, white and purple (blue) bands, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592a
Woman's jacket, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Woman's jacket, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592b
Chest piece, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Chest piece, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592c
Scarf, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Scarf, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592d
Woman's apron, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Woman's apron, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592e
Woman's cap, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

Woman's cap, part of Volendam-style outfit, worn during celebrations in Leiden in the summer of 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.0592f
Brooch made from three coins with the portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, the Netherlands, 1940's.

Brooch made from three coins with the portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, the Netherlands, 1940's.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.1231
Brooch with three discs, in red, white and blue. The Netherlands, 1940's.

Brooch with three discs, in red, white and blue. The Netherlands, 1940's.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.3711
Souvenir issued by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Brussels 1945.

Souvenir issued by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Brussels 1945.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.3715
Postcard published in May 1945 celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands.

Postcard published in May 1945 celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands.

For more information, click here: TRC 2020.3716
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