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Commentary by Tony
Van Vugt
The numerous
representatives of the Press, Radio and TV consistently pressed the
participants about their opinion about the past and the present. It took
all of the nine (9) days of the reenactment to attempt to make some, no
doubt, imperfect comparisons:
1: State of
preparedness: World War I started with a single shot when Archduke
Ferdinand was assassinated in the Balkans. The Second World War started
when the signs of aggression where clearly visible with the annexation
of the Sudetenland and Austria and the invasion of the then
Czechoslovakia and Poland. These earlier wars were much about the
capture of territory whether is was called for "liebensraum" or
"Co-prosperity." Yet the Netherlands thought at the time then that it
was shielded from war by its unilateral declaration of neutrality. When
it was invaded it had no army, no training or armaments for war or
contingency plans to protect the civilian population in case of war as
in the bombardment of Rotterdam on May 13, 1940..
Once again there are severe rumblings in the
world, this time not so much about territory but about resources. Among
these faunted resources are oil and gas, uranium and precious metals for
the production of weapons. The slightest spark in one of the oil
producing countries might set of an explosion that could reverberate
around the world. Yet once again, the young in the Netherlands appear
blissfully unaware of the fate that might befall them. They could
experience the need for their own "hongertocht."
The national service obligation was stopped
long ago. There is no evidence of any additional political awareness or
preparedness now to deal with calamity. As before, the false sense of
security has lulled the country into a hedonistic state of euphoria.
2. Public Health: A close companion of
preparedness is the state of public health. It is ironic that at the
beginning of 1944, that is some four years into the Second World war,
public health was said to be better than at the start of the war in
1940. Reduced intakes of food, probably especially fats and more
physical activity (riding bicycles) for years on made the Netherlands
one of the healthiest nations on earth with a life expectancy that
outpaced that of the all other prosperous nations.
Looking around in the Netherlands now doesn't
quite shown yet the rampant obesity that is hitting the USA . Yet is is
apparent that the country is facing a potentially devastating disaster
caused by an addictive drug. Whereas smoking, as it is benignly called,
is now almost an antisocial activity in the US, it has spread in a
positively unhealthy manner in the Netherlands. Of course smoking (roken)
is too nice a name for an activity that consists of inhaling the gasses
of a poisonous addictive weed.
One of indelible memories that I observed in
the Second World War was that some men when faced with the choice of a
slice of bread with "spek" (bacon) or a cigarette (even if made from
cigarette butts found in the street) some would chose the inhaling of
poisonous gas produced by rotting leafs over the ingestion of nourishing
life-giving wholesome food.
We observed that despite the government's compulsory warnings
that "Roken is Dodelijk" (Smoking is Deadly) it is virtually impossible
to find a terrace or restaurant in the Netherlands where the non-smoking
diner is protected from side smoke. Parents (the role models),
presumably loving their children parents smoke in front of their
children exposing them to side smoke. And, yes, we saw a seven-month
pregnant "mother" poison her unborn child by forcing it to consume
nicotine as part of its diet. The power of such addictions, as will make
parents sacrifice their children to fuel their addiction, against all
available evidence, is reprehensible. And, yes, we saw people who given
the choice between a healthy breakfast and inhaling poisonous gas always
chose the latter.
3. Hunger. Interviewers would often ask what is
honger? At first glance it might appear to be a questions that is easy
to answer but it isn't. What we observed is that obese people actually
have hunger although the brain should tell them that more food is
actually killing them rather then sustaining them. Sadly, the more they
eat the hungrier they get.
The idea of hunger was driven home when one of
the participants, more than sixty years after the event confessed that
when faced with dead by starvation, her father had slaughtered their
pets a friendly cat an beloved dog to put food on the table for just a
few more days. The trauma of that experience is still carried by her to
this day.
The obsession with the preservation of food is
also carried by many if not all people that have experienced the hunger
winter. The will keep food way beyond it's expiration date because
wasting food goes against the grain of the fight for preservation of
life that they once faced. The wastefulness of the younger generation
that orders the largest super-size serving and then throw more than half
in the trashcan is not only incomprehensible but also repugnant to them,
given that there is still so much hunger and starvation in the world.
4. Fitness: On aspect of public health is
fitness. The Netherlands with its hundreds of miles of footpaths almost
universally spread around the country through some of the most scenic
areas is ideal for walking. Walking is the most effective, social and
cheapest form of exercise. The reenactment was as much a remembrance of
the past as it was to promote walking as a sport. It was not surprising
therefore that within walking distance of the route we found some 300
walking clubs. We sought to establish contact with these clubs by
writing them twice. What was surprising that of the 300 only about ten
(10) had the courtesy of sending a reply.
Even the venerable Wandel Vereninging van
Rotterdam (a group that we hope would support us starting the
reenactment in Rotterdam), where we tried to contact five officials -
twice, failed to send a single reply. The officials of only two clubs
responded in a significant manner. These were: (1) Kees en Meia de Bruin
who manage the website
www.fryslanswalkers.nl; and (2) Koos
Leidelmeijer of Milieucentrum.rotterdam.nl who assista in organizing the
socalled "Groene wandelingen" (Green Walks.) Kees and Meia assisted by
advising on procuring medals that could be issued to participants that
completed the seven-day 150 km reenactment walk (which appeared a
preoccupation of some Dutch wandel clubs) and we invited Koos to get our
walk started in Rotterdam on Saturday, August 4, 2007.
An equally puzzling absence was Scouting
Nederland. We had thought that involvement by the scout movement, apart
from the historical significance of the reenactment, would have been of
interest to the scouts by guiding the relative aged participants through
the various villages and towns that sometimes would be difficult to
follow by strangers not familiar with the area. Unfortunately, Scouting
- Nederland had its email system on automatic that would acknowledge
receipt of repeated messages but never followed up on the promised
consideration and reply.
5. Good versus Evil: There were at least seven
(7) TV stations; as many newspaper and radio reporters involved in
reporting on the reenactment. Many interviews were granted and all of
the principal walkers was given an opportunity to express his or her
observations. On several occasions we were pressed on the questions as
to why we did not emphasize the negatives that had been reported about
the 1944-45 hongertochts. Several Dutch authors had reported the greed
and exploitation of the fugitives from hunger by farmers and others that
used food as a bargaining chip. It could be obtained in return for
sexual favors, gold wedding rings and other jewelry and new linens.
Other farmers would wait at the boundary of their properties and then
accost searchers for food for payment after they had dug up rotten
potatoes from lands flooded by the Germans as a means to slowdown he
advancing liberators.
Many of such allegations are no doubt true.
there could be regional differences and farmers located closest to the
starving large cities might have had less empathy for the starving
refugees. However, based on personal experiences by most of the writers
that have contributed their stories the good deeds by farmers and others
along the heavily trodden roads far outpaced the evil that must have
surfaced here and there. Also, not every beggar on the road was
necessarily honest. As the "verhalen" (stories) attest some stole the
cream of the top of the farmers milk cans or stole a ham dangling from
the farmers loft in the house or barn.
A more controversial subject, doubtless colored
by the many cruelties committed by the SS and other special security
forces is the question about the good and evil among the occupiers (much
like can now be observed in contemporaneous wars.) Stories written by
participants often retell assistance provided by the occupiers in
providing food, transportation or relative safety when convoys of people
and trucks were under attack by English fighters when underway.
Sometimes guards would let people cross the bridge over the IJssel,
often when the travelers used the flimsiest of fake documents or could
speak a few words of German.
Many a storyteller recalls seeing young German
soldiers, some as young as 16 or 17, in tears when talking about their
parents and siblings at home who were mercilessly slaughtered by the
huge allied armadas that methodically bombed the large German cities to
break the will of the German people as if the ordinary German citizen
could influence the cause of the war. The cynics argue that those that
assisted weren't really Germans but people from the Baltic states that
had been pressed into service, just like many Dutchmen, to support the
failing German war effort. Even the fugitives among themselves were not
always to be trusted. Most had fears that their meager belongings would
be stolen by other fugitives during the night when they slept.
Having experienced a lot of goodness during our
hongertocht we decided that the reenactment should be a celebration of
the goodness of people whom we had met. Many kept on giving food and
accommodation even after the hundred dirty and scurvy person had knocked
on their doors for food or shelter.
6. Religion: As earlier indicated it is not to
form an opinion on a class or group of people. Yet, as biased as our
opinions and experiences might be it is the "rotten apple" in the basket
that causes the most damage. A single experience that has colored my
attitude about overly religious people was the instance when we had to
sleep on a clay floor in a stables because the no doubt very religious
farmer refused to spread straw or hay for us to sleep on because it was
the day of the Lord.
We were painfully reminded of such
zealotry when on during the reenactment we asked for permission for our
group to sit on church property in what probably was a very pious
community. The official at this ornate church that actually looked more
like a cathedral urged us to move on to the next church some kilometers
down the road (and that probably was a diversion for the walkers of one
hour or more). As a group we just couldn't take this insult to our
intelligence and humanity and just dropped down where we stood to
consume our lunch.
The other side of the coin was that during the
war the various and usually partisan Christian religions combined to
ferry children to the farmlands for short periods of time to overcome
malnutrition. Mind you, when on the road one was still required to carry
a letter of commendation from your own priest or preacher to be produced
when asking for assistance at local churches along the way. We had been
refused assistance by a church because our father had not been seen in
the church for some time. Of course, he had been overseas from 1940 till
late 1945. Yet in Hattem, with our baptism certificate, we (the children
that is) were warmly received and placed with host families.
Recently the doubts that Mother Theresa, the
Saint of Calcutta, carried with her for many decades have come to see
the light. In the face of the inhumanity shown by a few is there really
a God who cares.
7. Hospitality: As alluded to earlier,
hospitality during our original hunger march had been outstanding. I
guess that when begging for food at, say, 100 different farms mare that
90 would respond positively. Some with just a slice of dry bread, others
with a glass of milk and , oh jubilation, with a dish of porridge or the
ultimate favor a plate of steaming potatoes and a piece of meet.
We were totally taken back that this unheralded
hospitality was still alive all along our chosen route. Without any
prior arrangements or contacts we were invited by the hobby farmer in
the small village of Cabauw where with great cheer we were treated to
tea, coffee and cookies. We remember the kindness of the two ladies who
run the local cafe called the Roode Leeuw (The Red Lion.) at the
conclusion of that day's walk were were treated with broodjes (bread
rolls) covered with ham and cheese. As the walk for the day was over we
also did not hesitate to enjoy the foaming glasses of draft beer. On the
next day when continuing our track we were give coffee to wake us up and
a big box with plums to be eaten long the way.
The advance guard of our group was treated by
an elderly lady who handed out her Sunday baked treats and gave them to
the walkers together with a cup of strong Dutch coffee. Also come to
mind the farmer and his family who invited our entire group to join them
in a sheltered corner near de farmhouse and enjoy the refreshments
proffered by family members. He told us the recollection when his late
father would have as many as 150 fugitives sleeping in the barns for the
night and provided them with a meal in the morning to get started. This,
take note, when it was illegal for farmers under possible threat of
deportation, to provide food to fugitives because all farm production
deemed surplus to personal requirements was to be surrendered to the
German occupiers.
People along the way flew the Dutch flags from
their houses and clapped their hands when we passed by. We were given
small mementoes asking for help with finding long lost guests that had
stayed with them during the hunger winter. Several booklets were given
that described local history, including the role played in hiding Jewish
families at the risk of instant execution if found out. Imagine the risk
to the people in the small village that hid more than 50 Jewish men,
women and children such that the population mix was around one Jewish
fugitive against each ten or 15 residents.
At the official level the walkers and other
participants on bicycles, a scooter and an invalid cart, received four
civic receptions in the towns of Woudenberg, Epe, Heerde and Hattem. To
top it of the group received ovations on entering Hattem and a standing
ovation in the Great Church of Hattem during the closing ceremonies. One
of the most warming and unexpected surprises was the farmer who offered
his place for a final coffee, a talk and farewells after we had,
unexpectedly, been able to cross the IJssel Bridge to enter Overijssel
province.
We conclude, that the hospitality about which
participants so glowingly wrote in their stories on our website is alive
and well among the Dutch communities that we had the pleasure to meet on
our pilgrimage of homage.
8. Closure: The reenactment struck a raw nerve
among the survivors of the hunger winter of 1944-45. The fact that
someone remembered their agonies, carried for more than half a century,
and was interested in hearing and publishing their story brought, after
an initially painful jolt, great relief. Now they could tell their story
that no one had been interested in and know that their memories would be
retained and remembered.
If anything was a reward for having organized
the reenactment it was to see the tears of gratefulness well up in the
eyes of the old people followed by a smile and obvious sign of relief.
Many hugged and praised us. Finally, they could come to rest and live
their remaining days in peace.
Tony Van Vugt |
