Five Brothers and a War

Hongerwinter (“Hunger Winter”)

Of the occupied provinces, three suffered greatly, Noord Holland, Zuid Holland and Utrecht. In the provinces of Gelderland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland there was almost no hunger. The estimate is that more than 22,000 people starved to death, and some 235,000 people suffered from hunger-related disease. Furthermore, there was a significant number of pregnant women whose fetuses suffered for the length of their lives. A noteworthy person who claims to have suffered lifelong problems was the Dutch actress Audrey Hepburn. She suffered from anemia, respiratory illnesses, and edema as a result of her wartime experiences. Her clinical depression later in life has been attributed to malnutrition. At first 100 grams of cheese were allotted every two weeks to each person. The meat coupons became worthless quickly as meat supplies disappeared. The Nazis had moved hundreds of thousands of livestock animals from Holland to Germany. The bread ration had already dropped from 2,200 grams to 1,800 grams and then to 1,400 grams per week. In October 1944, it fell to one kilogram per week, and continued to fall until the month before the Germans surrendered when it was only 400 grams weekly. Together with one kilogram of potatoes, this then formed the entire weekly ration.

The daily food intake looked something like this, with about 665 calories. To maintain weight, a person needs around 2,500 3,000 calories per day.

the war

Children were particularly vulnerable, as their caloric intake must feed a higher activity level, not to mention their required growth nutrients. Aside from malnourishment, children outgrew their shoes, but no new shoes were available, creating yet another massive hardship for them.

Five Brothers and a War

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