Lecture: “Is It Okay for Me to Tell That?”

How do you carry on with your life when the war has left deep scars on both sides of your family history? “Is It Okay for Me to Tell This?” centers on the life story of Jan Wunderink, whose father worked as a prisoner of war on the Burma Railway during World War II, while his mother was a member of the NSB and held a national position within the Dutch Labor Service (NAD).

After his parents’ death, Wunderink gradually unraveled the family story that had been kept secret for years. Together with author Ed Heijmans, he wrote a book about it that shows how war trauma, shame, and silence can affect generations.

During this event, Ed Heijmans will discuss the book’s origins and address the questions raised by the story. What does it mean to grow up with a “tainted” family history? Eighty years after the war, is there room to tell these stories openly? And how do the consequences of war continue to affect subsequent generations?

The lecture is part of the program accompanying the temporary exhibition *No Place for Traitors* at Nationaal Monument Kamp Amersfoort.

Practical Information

Doors open: 7:00 p.m.
Lecture begins: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Nationaal Monument Kamp Amersfoort