World War II History Tour

World War II tour

The story of an occupied city

World War II History Tour

World War II tour

World War II History Tour

Startingpoint

We start at Westermarkt, next to the Anne Frank Monument at the Westerchurch tower.
End is at the National Holocaust Museum (Plantage Middenlaan)
Duration | Distance

2 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
Highlights

Anne Frank house
resistance movements on the canals
Royal Palace and royal family during WWII
Jewish Cultural Quarter
Portuguese Synagogue
National Holocaust Memorial
Price

Available from €60,- p.p. (minimum 2 persons)

Schedule your
private World War II tour

Startingpoint

We start at Westermarkt, next to the Anne Frank Monument at the Westerchurch tower.
We end at the National Holocaust Museum (Plantage Middenlaan)
Duration | Distance

2 hours | -/+ 3 km (1.4 ml)
Highlights

Anne Frank house Resistance movements on the canals
Royal Palace and the royal family during WWII
Jewish Cultural Quarter
Portuguese Synagogue
National Holocaust Memorial
Price

Available from €60,- p.p. (minimum 2 persons)

Book your
private World War II tour

World War II in Amsterdam

This two hours WWII tour will be all about the five years of Nazi occupation and the holocaust in Amsterdam. How did ordinary Amsterdammers deal with the Germans?

Get a deeper insight into how this tragic world history effected the city and how the scars are still visible today. Random family stories, courageous individuals and the loss of about 10% of the population paint the picture of WWII in Amsterdam.

Anne Frank

We start at the monument of Anne Frank at the Westermarkt, right around the corner of the Anne Frank House museum. Who was she and what exactly happened in the annex behind Prinsengracht 263? We shine a light on how – more than anything else – this young girl became the symbol of the holocaust in the Netherlands.

Historical corruption

Walking along the Amsterdam canals we will deal with some misconceptions about Amsterdam during World War II: Amsterdam was not bombed by the Germans, there was hardly any resistance, people didn’t know what happened with their rounded up neighbors… Over the years the history of WWII has been used and abused on many levels. We diligently researched the sources and the raw data for our version of the story.

WWII and royalty

At the Royal Palace on the Dam you learn more about the role of the Royal Family during WWII. How effective was queen Wilhelmina while hiding in London? Get the heroic story of the concierge of the Royal Palace, who single handedly kept the palace out of the hands of the Nazi’s. Which tragic event occurred on Dam Square on May 7th 1945, three days after the Germans surrendered? And how is WWII remembered in the Netherlands today?

Holocaust in Amsterdam

Walking towards the former Jewish district the tour zooms in on the Holocaust in Amsterdam. Learn how horribly efficiently the Nazi’s carried out the Holocaust in Amsterdam. How some people tried to control the damage while others saw opportunities to gain from this tragedy. What was the impact of the Jewish community on Amsterdam before WWII and what is left of it after the war?

Protest and resistance

Learn more about the largest public anti-Nazi protest in occupied Europe, the February Strike in 1941. What was the cause and what were the consequences, and how come the initiators of this protest were not welcome to the annual memorial of this event, in the first years after the war? We share several stories of the Amsterdam underground. The resistance movements that tried to throw sand into the Nazi machine.

Reflection on WWII

The former Theater of Holland, the Hollandsche Schouwburg, served as a deportation center for Jews awaiting transport to the camps. Today the remains of this theater serve as the National Holocaust Memorial. A sad, but essential place for reflection and introspection. This is where our tour ends.

Tour reviews

I've been in the Tijs's "Amsterdam Jewish in WW2" tour. I live in Amsterdam for quite some time and was walking near these spots without knowing so many tears... read more

eugenma
5/11/2019

Amazing experience! Tijs took us through the history, like coming back in the past. Walking in the streets, listening at his storytelling was an incredible experience. Such a passionate guide!... read more

stellacasella
5/11/2019

I was looking for personal tour guides for our trip on Amsterdam. I read about Edmund and Tijs on the web and started an email dialogue to create an itinerary... read more

Bob D
5/10/2018

Tijs gave us a wonderful tour of Amsterdam focused on literary history. He showed us where several main Dutch Authors lived, took us to sites that inspired writers and even... read more

Joyce S
4/04/2019

Exploring the canals of Amsterdam on foot with Tijs as the tour guide was one of the highlights of my first visit to the city. Tijs not only has thorough... read more

EC8531
3/22/2018