Collection of issues from the resistance movement "Free Holland" – issues of the first year: 1940-1941

Collection of issues from the resistance movement "Free Holland" – issues of the first year: 1940-1941

Vrij Nederland - The rare weekly "Free Netherlands" published by the Dutch Resistance during World War II - Issues 1-25 consecutively, including reports on the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland, ongoing reports on resistance activities, anti-Nazi cartoons, and public warnings about Nazi intentions. Starting from the rare "preliminary" issues (see below). Dates: August 3, 1940 - January 25, 1941 - Dutch.

The first issue, dated August 3, 1940, declares on its front page its aim to reach all Dutch people or anyone who understands Dutch: "This magazine wants to be the voice of Free Holland... for those who, due to their place of residence or by choosing exile, have withdrawn from the tyranny of the oppressor, the enemy who has overtaken our beloved homeland by unprecedented and treacherous means... In Free Holland, more than 65 million inhabitants are united in their loyalty to the Queen and the flag and in their fervent desire for the moment of liberation of the homeland..." This issue opens with "A Word from the Queen" on Holland's dire situation under Nazi occupation and the fight against the enemy. It also includes a personal message to "Free Holland" from Winston Churchill, dated July 29, 1940: "I warmly welcome the decision to publish a Dutch weekly newspaper in the country. The brutal invasion of Holland has aroused in every worthy Dutchman the firm resolve not to surrender to the aggressor and to fight alongside Great Britain and its allies until the full restoration of Holland’s independence. In the shared struggle, Dutch sailors, soldiers, airmen, merchant seamen, and civilians all over the world play a worthy and noble part. I am sure this newspaper will contribute greatly to the war effort of Holland, and I wish it success. Winston Churchill." 

The official first issue of the resistance publication was dated August 31, 1940, (appearing here as issue number 5), with an image of the Queen of Holland on the cover. Additionally, this collection includes the rare preliminary issues that began in early August of that year, starting on August 3. These early issues are considered even rarer.

The issues contain reports on the concentration camps, Gestapo terror, and the persecution of Jews. For example, the November 30, 1940 issue reports: "On October 26, a regulation by the Reich Commissioner for the occupied territory came into force, aimed at suppressing Jewish business life. The regulation is called 'On the Declaration of Companies, ' and it first specifies which 'companies' must be declared. It turns out this includes all trading companies, funds, agricultural companies, horticulture, and fishing companies, even peddler companies. And what constitutes a Jewish company? The regulation gives five definitions: when there is only one owner, and he is Jewish; when one of the jointly and severally liable partners is Jewish; when Jews hold a 'decisive' share in the capital, and according to this German regulation, this is the case if a quarter of the capital is held by Jews. Finally, to prevent any loopholes, the regulation states that all companies 'that are essentially under Jewish influence' must be declared—a very broad definition that gives the Germans all the desired possibilities..." Later, it explains that the definition of "Jew" for this purpose includes anyone with at least three Jewish grandparents, those married to a Jew, or anyone who belonged to the Jewish community as of May 9, 1940. The punishment for false reporting was five years in prison and a fine. The October 26, 1940 issue reports on the dismissal of Jewish civil servants, Jewish teachers, and the full implementation of the Nuremberg Laws.

Throughout the issues, there are regular reports on the German occupation of Amsterdam starting on May 16, 1940, and the Dutch population's response. The resistance effort to mobilize Dutch civilians against the Nazis, the Nazi takeover of Dutch radio, encouragement for victory in the war, and the distribution of addresses of offices involved in locating missing relatives and friends are also detailed. There are reports on school activities across the Netherlands, the state of various military units, articles, and cartoons mocking Hitler and SS leaders, written and spoken messages from Queen Wilhelmina, and continuous updates on Nazi decrees, such as the prohibition of vegetable sales in November 1940, the Nazi takeover of Dutch cinemas, sanctions imposed on city halls, restrictions on evening train travel, the halt of oil imports to the Netherlands, the confiscation of cash, and the ban on operating free radios. Warnings about Germany's potential use of poison gas in the war and revelations of Nazi propaganda machinery are also frequent. The newspaper consistently highlighted the need for active resistance and included warfront news, reports on political maneuvers around the world, and information on the resistance's own activities.

Vrij Nederland was launched in the Netherlands as a resistance newspaper during the German occupation in World War II. The weekly publication was inspired by the radio station Radio Vrij Nederland and created by a group of young Protestants, including Frans Hoppker, Jan van der Neut, Dan Levendig (who were arrested in early 1941), Kees Troost, Anne Kuijstra, and Wim Spellman. It became one of the most prominent channels of the Dutch resistance against Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945. Its main purpose was to serve as the free voice of the Dutch people and provide reliable information in contrast to the propaganda of the German occupation. The writers and distributors of the newspaper were Dutch underground members opposing Nazi rule. The publication began in August 1940, and one of its central ideologies was cooperation between all groups resisting Nazi occupation, regardless of political or social differences. Many of the writers were journalists and intellectuals before the occupation, and they contributed their skills to create a newspaper that promoted democratic values, freedom, justice, and equality. Distributing the newspaper was an enormous risk for those involved. The underground members had to constantly evade close surveillance by the Gestapo and local collaborators. Printing and distributing the newspaper was carried out in highly secret locations, and the resistance often used various means to conceal the distribution from the Nazis. During the war years, the newspaper was published in limited copies (hence its rarity), but it reached thousands of readers.

In 1941, there was a wave of arrests among the editors, with the founders being captured by the Germans. The rest continued to print the newspaper under underground conditions. After World War II and the liberation of the Netherlands, Vrij Nederland became a legitimate newspaper and continued to be published in the country, maintaining its democratic and liberal values, and becoming one of the most influential newspapers in post-war Netherlands.

25 complete issues. Some issues have detached pages. The issue from December 7, 1940, has the newspaper's name cut from the top of the front page. General condition: good.