Princess Christina of the Netherlands

Princess Christina of the Netherlands was the youngest of four daughters of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She taught singing in New York and was a long-term supporter of the Youth Music Foundation in the Netherlands. Born visually impaired, she worked to share her knowledge of dance and sound therapy with the blind.

Wartime Scarcity and Fashion Substitutes

During the German occupation, clothing became extremely scarce, leading women to paint their legs brown to simulate stockings and draw a seam line with an eyebrow pencil. Home-made dresses were crafted from scraps of fabric, and worn-out leather shoes were often replaced by shoes with wooden soles or ones made from paper twine.

Home sewing was common for Dutch women

In the 1950s, many Dutch women regularly sewed, knitted, and embroidered their own clothing and transformed existing garments to save money or follow trends. Professional dressmakers were often considered a luxury service accessible primarily to higher social classes.

Post-War Dance Rage

Following World War II, a massive dance craze emerged in the Netherlands, where events were only successful if a ball was organized afterward.

Music and Dance Bans During Occupation

During the German occupation in World War II, jazz was suppressed and bands were forced to change English-sounding names, while public dancing was strictly prohibited.

Memorable train and tram journeys

A memorable rail trip from Uden to Katwijk aan Zee involved wooden benches in green train carriages and a 30-minute ride on the tram through narrow streets.

Improving travel times between towns

Between 1925 and 1949, traveling between towns became increasingly faster, though in 1930, the average travel time from Amsterdam to its 59 surrounding towns was still 89 minutes.

Improvised wartime lighting methods

During the final years of the war, families improvised lighting using jam jars filled with water and a wick floating on a layer of oil, or pedaled a bicycle connected to a dynamo to generate light.

School-provided soup during war shortages

Children were sometimes fed soup at school during the food shortage of the final war years, though it was often not very nutritious.

Famine food during the Hunger Winter

During the severe food shortages of the Hunger Winter in 1944–1945, desperate families consumed sugar beets, tulip bulbs, and potato peels. Some even used roasted chicory root as a coffee substitute and dried large leaves to smoke as a tobacco replacement.

Staple diet of potatoes and fat in 1930s

During the 1930s, families frequently consumed meals centered on potatoes and fat, often spreading a thick layer of butter, margarine, or lard on bread. Vegetables were considered less important, and staples like meat were often boiled for an hour in stews like hotchpotch.

Black market prices during wartime scarcity

During the 1944-1945 Hunger Winter, black market ration cards for food could cost up to 150 guilders each. A single slice of bread or wheat cake on the black market could cost 7 guilders.

Meat and clothing prices in 1950

In 1950, a kilogram of fat cow meat at the Rotterdam abattoir cost two guilders, while a pair of men's leather gloves could cost up to 15 guilders.

Long working days in agriculture

Agricultural workers in stock-raising could face long days of up to 12 hours in summer, with work starting as early as 4 a.m. and continuing until 8 p.m. during peak seasons. Even in winter, these workers often began at 5 a.m. and finished at 5:30 p.m.

Daily hiring system for dockworkers

Dockworkers in Amsterdam were divided into card-holder groups, where those without guaranteed work had to report to hiring sites up to three times a day. Workers hoping for employment were often categorized by employers using a blue or yellow card system.