On or around 4 May, the victims of the Second World War are also commemorated in our neighborhood.
In De Plantage, once the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam, you can go to many locations and numerous monuments when it comes to commemoration. Of course, there is the National Remembrance Day on May 4, in various places in the neighborhood. And also centrally in the neighborhood, such as in the Hollandsche Schouwburg for example, and at the Namenmonument and the Nieuwe Keizersgracht (Schaduwkade).
But of course there is much more. Do you want to know what you can attend where? Then look at the website of the Committee 4 and 5 May; there are all commemoration and remembrance activities in Amsterdam, as well as the celebrations on May 5, arranged in a large overview agenda.
Commemoration in the Hollandsche Schouwburg
The doors of the Hollandsche Schouwburg open at 19:00. Everyone is invited to participate in the commemoration. The ceremony starts at 19:30. This commemoration is organized in collaboration with representatives of the Plantage-Weesperbuurt. A pupil of the IVKO school recites a poem he wrote himself. Given the history of this place, the commemoration includes some Jewish elements, such as the prayers Yizkor and Kaddish. Registration to attend the National Remembrance Day in the Hollandsche Schouwburg is not required.
Theater na de Dam
After the commemoration, the sixteenth edition of the national theater event Theater Na de Dam will start. The program includes 45 unique theater performances. In large theaters such as DeLaMar, Carré, Beurs van Berlage and Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, but also in the smallest theaters in the city such as De Roode Bioscoop and ITA The Bookshop. And all stages in between. Theater, dance, opera, classical music, debate, location theater and youth performances.
Open Jewish Houses
Remembrance in living rooms. From April 27 to May 5, 2025, some two hundred houses, shops and schools will open their doors to commemorate the Jews who once lived and worked at these locations. In living rooms, in attics, behind counters and between sliding doors, you will meet victims, survivors and resistance fighters of the Second World War. Who were they? How did they live? Where was the hiding place? And what became of them? With personal stories, Open Jewish Houses makes the consequences of the Second World War palpable.
Resistance Museum
The museum has a whole program around May 4 and 5. For example, there is a walk through the neighborhood with the theme of Arbeitseinsatz, Theater after the Dam, a freedom meal on May 5 and you can follow the national commemoration together with others on a big screen. This and more on the museum’s website.