CRAZY TUESDAY DIALOGUE – MAYOR IN TIMES OF WAR

Dialogue inspired by the book *Mayors in Wartime*.

During this first “Dolle Dinsdag Dialogue,” author Hans Anker will speak with Amersfoort Mayor Lucas Bolsius. The occasion is Anker’s book *Burgemeester in oorlogstijd* (Mayor in Wartime), in which he reconstructs the history of Mayor Hanton Pieter Kleppe. After the war, Kleppe was accused of collaboration—both during the purge of civil servants and in the special judicial proceedings—and a years-long struggle to clear his name ensued. Anker based his reconstruction on data from various wartime archives, including the Central Archive for Special Judicial Proceedings.

Moral dilemmas, then and now.
Kleppe’s story illustrates the moral dilemmas that public officials faced during wartime. What responsibilities do you bear as a public official? How do you make choices when every decision has consequences? And how do we judge those choices in hindsight?

The New “Dolle Dinsdag” Dialogue
On “Crazy Tuesday” (September 5, 1944), rumors spread throughout the Netherlands that liberation was imminent. This day marked a turning point: for many Nazis and collaborators, it became clear that their hold on power was coming to an end and that they would have to answer for their actions after the war. After the liberation, Kamp Amersfoort was used to intern those suspected of collaboration. The launch of this annual “Crazy Tuesday Dialogue” is part of the temporary exhibition *No Place for Traitors*. In this dialogue, Nationaal Monument Kamp Amersfoort reflects on this often-overlooked history and the questions it still raises today.

Practical Information
Lecture starts at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.). This is half an hour earlier than usual.
Location: Nationaal Monument Kamp Amersfoort
Admission: free, registration required.