Five Brothers and a War

National Reprisal

The mood in Holland rapidly shifted from elation to anger, despair and hopelessness. The anger was immediate, and was wide ranging. The first victims were NSBers. In the first days after liberation, about 100,000 NSBers were arrested. Not by the police, who were hated by the Dutch as they were complicit with the Germans during their occupation. Rather, it was the Dutch Resistance. This created its own set of problems, and the Allied army had to intervene to establish some form of judicial system rather than the vigilante reprisals that were underway. Those captured were often subject to beatings and other forms of torture, including being doused with latrine buckets.

The other major group that was physically and mentally tormented was comprised of Dutch girls and women who “fraternized” with German soldiers. They were called Moffenmeiden (“Kraut Maidens”) if an attempt was made at being somewhat proper, and more likely Moffenhoeren (“Kraut whores”). They were treated in a very similar way as the French women who fraternized with the Germans: their heads were shaved and then they were paraded through the streets to maximize their humiliation.

holland

Five Brothers and a War

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