The Hollandsche Schouwburg

Origin

The Hollandsche Schouwburg was originally built in 1892 as a popular theatre in Amsterdam. During the Second World War, the German occupiers used this theatre as a detention centre for Jews who had been ordered to report for transportation. Tens of thousands of men, women and children were taken from here to concentration camps and death camps. After the war, it became a place of remembrance and reflection. At present, the Hollandsche Schouwburg is in the middle of a renovation project.

In early 2024, the Hollandsche Schouwburg will reopen as a place of remembrance. Voices of people who have been persecuted and murdered and of those who survived, guide the visitor around. It will tell about the theatre in the years before, during and after the war. A new work of art enhances the visitor experience in this profoundly moving place.

Aims

The Hollandsche Schouwburg has the following aims: to serve as a memorial and place of remembrance for Holocaust victims in the Netherlands, to educate visitors about the history and experiences of the Jewish community in Amsterdam during the Holocaust, to preserve the memory and legacy of the Holocaust, and to encourage dialogue and reflection on themes of intolerance and discrimination.