So, for my Masters Thesis I am researching photographic material from the Second World War in the hope of coming to some sort of conclusion about the complexities of cross-national relationships that formed during the time and how these personal micro-histories differ from romanticised national narratives about love and friendship in wartime.
Tomorrow, I am meeting with Peter Keppy from the NIOD (The Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies) as well as Liesbeth Ouwehand at the KITLV (Institute for South East Asian and Carribbean Studies) about the possibiliy of using their photographic archives and for general advice. My alarm goes off in less than 5 hours, and I am unable to sleep from nervousness and excitement. I'm finally feeling like this all might lead to something exciting and useful. Feeling like a real anthropologist. Almost.
So, insead of sleeping, I am going through the online archive of the NIOD to orientate myself on the subject a little more, so I am able to better articulate what I am looking for at these Institutes. Here are some of my most interesting and representative findings so far.
Sommige Nederlandse vrouwen hadden in de Tweede wereldoorlog
een relatie met een Duitse militair. Zij werden moffenhoeren genoemd
en na de bevrijding kaalgeschoren. Daar waren ook vrouwen bij die
het niet eens waren met de nazi's en toch verliefd werden op een Duitser.
(Some Dutch women had relationships with German soldiers during WWII.
They were called "moffenhoeren" and were shaved bald after the liberation.
Among them were women who did not agree with the nazi's,
but still fell in love with a German man.)
They were called "moffenhoeren" and were shaved bald after the liberation.
Among them were women who did not agree with the nazi's,
but still fell in love with a German man.)
A US Pilot kisses the French, Therese Bourguinon goodbye.
This one is of special interest to me personally
because my own grandfather was very close to a group of Canadian soldiers
and travelled with them for a long time. After the war, he wanted to go with them to Canada,
but his father forbode it. I still have photographs of his closest friend,
Jean Paul Berthiaume, Jean Paul's daughter,
and one of an unidentified Canadian soldier with his, presumably Dutch, girlfriend.
Friends. A Dutch girl and an American soldier
walk down a road near the town of Grave, Holland
which was liberated by U.S. paratroopers.
walk down a road near the town of Grave, Holland
which was liberated by U.S. paratroopers.
No comments:
Post a Comment