Occupation · Netherlands · 1940–1945
Nazi authorities used classification and local administrative systems to dismantle Jewish life.
Explore NetherlandsPublished by WTJPublication updated
1940–1945
Occupation · The register becomes a route to deportation
Nazi authorities used classification and local administrative systems to dismantle Jewish life.
The occupiers ask for names
After the German invasion in May 1940, occupation authorities imposed anti-Jewish measures and registration. A person’s ancestry could determine inclusion in an official category. Administrative records made persecution easier to organize; the danger lay in what authorities did with names, addresses and family details.
From exclusion to deportation
Jews were removed from public roles and segregated from schools and public spaces. Deportations subsequently carried people through transit camps, including Westerbork, toward Nazi camps. Each restriction reduced contact and options. Dutch officials and police participated in parts of this process.
People also refused
The February 1941 strike protested the persecution of Jews. Others hid people or joined resistance, while collaborators assisted the occupiers. These responses did not cancel the overwhelming losses. They demonstrate that German policy was met by human decisions, whose consequences could be sharply different.