Hollandsche Schouwburg – National Holocaust Memorial in Amsterdam

The Hollandsche Schouwburg is an old theatre in Amsterdam’s Plantage district which is now the Dutch National Holocaust Memorial. It commemorates the many Jews in the city who were deported during World War 2.

Hollandsche Schouwburg re-opened in March 2024 following a 3 year renovation and can be entered freely without a ticket.

The building originates from 1892 and was a mid-sized theatre (capacity 800) for many years during the early 20th century.

During the German occupation in 1941 the theatre was used exclusively for Jews as a form of segregation.

In 1942-43 it became a deportation centre. Tens of thousands of Jews from Amsterdam and the surrounding areas were obligated to report here before being taken to Dutch transit camps in Vught or Westerbork and then onwards to Germany.

In the early 1960s the building was turned into a memorial by the city council. The main auditorium had to be pulled down – due to disrepair – leaving a large empty space at the back. An obelisk was put up near the old stage which acts as a monument and place for reflection.

Visiting the National Holocaust Memorial

On entering the building via the secure double doors you can get a free audio guide (in Dutch/English). On the left-hand side of the space there is a video wall showing a film on the history of the building.

Visitors can go outside to the rear memorial area with obelisk and garden. The walls have a number of memorial glass droplets which commemorate the experience of various individuals via audio.

On the wall you will also find the Digital Jewish Monument which contains a database of some 104,000 Dutch Jews.

The Hollandsche Schouwburg is part of the Jewish Cultural Quarter (JCK) which also consists of the for Jewish Museum, Portuguese Synagogue and the new National Holocaust Museum (across the road).

In the area you can also find the Dutch Resistance Museum and the Auschwitz Monument in Wertheim Park.

A short walk away is the National Holocaust Memorial of Names – a relatively new monument (2021) paying tribute to Dutch victims of the Holocaust. Consisting of a series of brick walls and stainless steel panels it is located in Weesperstraat by the rear of the H’ART Museum.

Hollandsche Schouwburg Essential Info

Last updated 5 April 2024. This article was first published in 2010 and has been regularly updated.

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