05-05-2021

Dutch Design Daily

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Tinker imagineers www.tinker.nl

National Monument Kamp Amersfoort

By 05-05-2021

Focusing on personal stories and reflection
A new museum in which the history of that place becomes palpable: the oppression, the injustice, and the fear. During the Second World War, around 47,000 prisoners were held at Kamp Amersfoort, a prison camp as well as a transit camp. The redesigned area, the architecture, and the exhibition in the new museum illustrate what went on in there. The exhibition tells the stories of the prisoners, a helper, and the perpetrators. Who were they? The impressive video footage in black and white reveals what life in the camp was like.

A large map on the wall shows the transports of prisoners coming in and going out. They were seen and treated as mere numbers. But they regain their names and faces through the gigantic portraits printed on the pillars scattered throughout the room. Their belongings are displayed in the drawers below the images, and their personal stories can be heard. In a social VR experiment, visitors experience the effects of peer pressure, authority, and trust. Finally, there is room for reflection. What did I just see and hear? What traces do I leave behind?

National Monument Kamp Amersfoort
www.kampamersfoort.nl

Photos: Mike Bink