| Remembrance of the Dead | |
|---|---|
 Commemoration ceremony atDam Square in Amsterdam on 4 May 2014 | |
| Official name | Dodenherdenking |
| Observed by | Netherlands |
| Type | Remembrance |
| Significance | Commemorates all war casualties since the beginning ofWWII |
| Observances | Two-minute silence |
| Date | 4 May |
| Next time | 4 May 2026 (2026-05-04) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Liberation Day |
Remembrance of the Dead (Dutch:Dodenherdenking) is held annually on 4 May in the Netherlands.[1] Itcommemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of theKingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars orpeacekeeping missions since the beginning of theSecond World War.
Since 2011 the official text of the Memorandum for Remembrance Day on 4 May is as follows:
During the national commemoration of Remembrance Day we remember all victims – civilians and soldiers – who have been killed or murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world inwar situations or duringpeace-keeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War.
— Memorandum 2011[2]
It is organized nationally byNational Committee for 4 and 5 May, but local committees still apply their own interpretation to the commemorations and also bear responsibility for that interpretation.
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Until 1961 the commemoration only related to the Dutch victims ofWorld War II. Since 1961, the victims of other military conflicts (such as theIndonesian National Revolution in Indonesia) and peacekeeping missions (such as in Lebanon orBosnia) are remembered on 4 May as well.
Traditionally, the main ceremonies are observed in Amsterdam at theNational Monument onDam Square. This ceremony is usually attended by members of the cabinet and theroyal family, military leaders, representatives of theresistance movement and other social groups.
At 20:00, two minutes ofsilence is observed across the Netherlands. Public transport is stopped as well as all other traffic. Radio and television only broadcast the ceremonies from 19:00 until 20:30. Since 4 May 1994, flags, having hung athalf-staff from 18:00, are then hoisted to the music of theWilhelmus, the Dutchnational anthem. Since 2001, it is allowed to let the flag hang at half-staff.
The main commemorations in Amsterdam are broadcast by the public broadcasterNOS and there are ceremonies in all Dutch cities and other places as well. Especially notable are those at theWaalsdorpervlakte near The Hague where many Dutch resistance fighters were executed during the war, and at the war cemeteryGrebbeberg, which are broadcast by the commercial broadcasting companies. In many towns, before or after the two minutes of silence, people gather around a monument, listen to speeches, and lay down flowers to remember the dead.
The next day, on 5 May, peoplecelebrate the liberation of the nation from theGerman occupation of 1940 to 1945.
