Album by Frits J. Rotgans on display in the Resistance Museum

The Second World War in color! The memory of the occupation is dominated by black and white images. But some photographers already took color photos using slide film during the war. The young Amsterdammer Frits J. Rotgans (1912-1978) is one of them. He records how the occupation becomes visible on the street: an SS man waiting for the tram, advertising columns with German propaganda, a sign ‘Forbidden for Jews’ in the window of a café. He also photographs two Jewish women who are given a place to hide at his home after they sought safety during a raid.

Rotgans also actively participates in the resistance. He forges countless identity cards and makes illustrations for the illegal magazine Ons Vrije Nederland. He was arrested in September 1943. He manages to escape and goes into hiding in the south of the Netherlands. When it is liberated, Rotgans joins British troops fighting through the Netherlands as an interpreter. He does that for more than six months and experiences the liberation in Wageningen.

Unique album in mini exhibition
After the war, Rotgans recorded his experiences in a unique album, filled with photos, documents and newspaper clippings. Thanks to the Rotgans family, this valuable time document can be admired in a temporary mini-exhibition in the Resistance Museum from December 12, 2024 to February 3, 2025.

Resistance Museum Amsterdam, Album by Frits J. Rotgans, December 12, 2024 to February 3, 2025 Plantage Kerklaan 61, 1018 CX Amsterdam