The National Remembrance 15 August 1945 ( nl, Nationale Herdenking 15 augustus 1945) is an annual event at the Indies Monument in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, to commemorate the end of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and the end of World War II. Taking place every 15 August since 1988, it is also known as the National Indies Remembrance ( nl, Nationale Indiëherdenking).

History

For the

Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png , map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale , capital = ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

officially came to an end on 15 August 1945, while this already applied to the Netherlands proper on 5 May 1945 with the

end of World War II in Europe The final battle of the European Theatre of World War II continued after the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, signed by Field marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 8 May 1945 in Karlshorst, Berlin. After German dictator Adolf H ...

. For the two million Indo Dutch in the Netherlands, there was no commemoration of the events of the Second World War in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

and their consequences. It wasn't until 1988 that an opportunity for their own annual commemoration arose. On 15 August 1970, a one-off commemoration of the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

and the end of World War II in Southeast Asia took place in The Hague for the first time. Because there appeared to be a need from survivors and relatives to commemorate this historical period more extensively, this led to the foundation of the 15 August Commemoration Foundation on 25 March 1980 by 24 Indo Dutch organizations. At the Indies Monument in The Hague, all victims of the Japanese occupation in the Dutch East Indies and its direct consequences have been commemorated since 1988. The , the Arabian jasmine, is worn as a symbol that stands for respect, involvement and compassion. On this day, general

flag protocol A flag protocol defines the proper placement, handling, use, and disposal of flags. Some countries have added certain protocols into their legal system while others prefer to have "guidelines" without civil or criminal consequences attached. G ...

, as drawn up by the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, applies. This means that on 15 August all government buildings will be flagged extensively to honor the formal end of the Second World War.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://15augustus1945.nl/en/ August events History of the Netherlands Indo people Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies Remembrance days

History

See also

References

External links