On 4 May, during the National Remembrance Day ceremony on Dam Square in Amsterdam, all Dutch victims — civilians and members of the armed forces — who have lost their lives in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or elsewhere in the world, in situations of war or during peacekeeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War (WWII), are commemorated.
As Minister Arrindell reflected, “we stand together in remembrance,” bound not only by history, “but by a shared sense of loss and gratitude.”
Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima laid a wreath on behalf of the Dutch people. In addition, children and grandchildren of survivors paid tribute by laying wreaths in memory of various groups of war victims. Minister Arrindell laid a wreath together with, among others, the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba, Mildred Schwengle, and Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao, Errold ‘Joy’ Bishop.
Prior to the commemoration, the annual 4 May lecture was held at De Nieuwe Kerk, delivered this year by journalist Judith Zilversmit. During the ceremony, Lalla Weiss spoke on behalf of the Roma and Sinti community.
At exactly 8:00 PM, two minutes of silence were observed across the Netherlands, a moment that, in the words of Minister Arrindell, “unites us in reflection across the Kingdom of the Netherlands and beyond. Their sacrifice calls us not only to remember, but to live with purpose to protect dignity, to choose unity over division and to keep striving for a world where peace is more than hope, but reality.”
