Eighty years ago, the Netherlands was liberated by the Allies. In 2025, the Netherlands celebrates and commemorates the liberation and that it has lived in freedom since the end of World War II.
For Groninger Churches, reason to dedicate an exhibition to 80 years of freedom in the Akerk. The exhibition combines small, human stories with major themes such as freedom, resistance and oppression. The Akerk plays a central role in this because of its eloquent wartime history: from English airmen in hiding and German church services to a resistance story of the Boer couple. The church, adjacent to the former Jewish neighborhood, is a tangible place where the traces of the past are still visible.
Curator Martin Hillenga, known for the book 40/45, curated the exhibition. The design of the exhibition houses a ruined skyline of Groningen in the Akerk. These ruins conceal original objects from the period ’40 – ’45. Walking through the Akerk, the Second World War comes to life in and around the Akerk. War Close By.
Exhibition ‘War Close By’
Akerk, Groningen
16 February – 22 June, 2025
akerk.nl
Photography: Sake Elzinga
Client: Groninger Churches, Akerk
Concept and curators: Martin Hillenga, Paul&Albert
Image research and text: Martin Hillenga
Spatial design: Paul&Albert
Graphic design: Thansk
Project management: Marius Breukink
Interior design: Lawand Zaza and Ra’fat Ali
Audiotour Design and app: Tapart
Sound design: Jelmer Althuis
Film and animation: Koen Leerink, Bonfire Film
