When Amsterdam Struck Back

--- The German-language version of this poster is rarer than the Dutch version. ---

Amsterdam, 1941 — in the aftermath of the February Strike.

The German occupation authorities had responded brutally to unrest and violent clashes in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district. Their actions helped trigger the February Strike, one of the most remarkable acts of mass resistance against the German occupation in Western Europe. The strike spread through Amsterdam and parts of the northern Netherlands before being crushed by harsh German repression.

But the resistance had not disappeared.

In response, Hanns Albin Rauter, the highest-ranking SS and police leader in the Netherlands, issued this striking AUFRUF — an appeal directly addressing the population. He claimed that resistance was still being stirred up by “Jewish (!) and communist elements” and threatened severe consequences for those who continued to resist.

The wording is significant. German occupation authorities normally issued a BEKANNTMACHUNG (public notice), usually printed in both Dutch and German. Here, however, Rauter chose the much more direct term AUFRUF — an appeal or call directed at the population.

A Dutch-language version of this poster is also known.

A rare and historically significant document from the tense aftermath of the February Strike — when the German occupier tried to answer mass resistance with threats.

Size: 45.5 × 59 cm

Original and in mint condition!