The Netherlands has reacted with shock to the results of a study that shows that almost one in four Dutch adults under the age of 40 have doubts about the Holocaust. “Not only is this very shocking, it is also very serious,” Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. There is much to do for society.
A survey by the Claims Conference found that 23 percent of Dutch people aged 18 to 40 believe that the Holocaust is a myth or an exaggeration. That is more than in other previously studied countries. The international organization is committed to the relatives of Holocaust victims.
Increasing gaps in the knowledge of history
The government commissioner for combating anti-Semitism, Eddo Verdoner, called the results “appalling”. He complained about the increasing gaps in knowledge about history. “We need to take countermeasures in schools, in sports and on social media.”
MPs also reacted with shock and warned of dangers. Trivializing the Holocaust or fueling doubt by politicians is dangerous, said Jan Paternotte, leader of the left-liberal government party D66.
Results of the generations recorded separately
The Claims Conference was established after World War II to pursue claims by Jewish survivors against Germany and continues to serve Holocaust survivors and their descendants today. 2,000 Dutch people aged 18 and older were interviewed. The results of Millennials born between 1980 and 1994 and the so-called Generation Z born since 1995 are kept separately.
Almost 60 percent could not name a transit camp
Although there were several transit camps in the Netherlands from which Jews were deported to concentration camps such as Auschwitz, 59 percent of all respondents and 71 percent of millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z) could not name a single transit camp in their own country.
Anne Frank, who lived in hiding with her family in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands, knew 89 percent of the respondents. Yet 32 percent of millennials and 27 percent of all adults surveyed didn’t know they died in a concentration camp.
Neo-Nazi views acceptable to 22 percent
The full extent of the Holocaust was also unknown to many: 54 percent of all respondents and 59 percent of Millennials and Gen Z were unaware that six million Jews were murdered.
Looking at the present, there were also worrying results from the study. For example, 22 percent of millennials and Gen Z thought it was acceptable for someone to support neo-Nazi views. In the total group of respondents in the Netherlands, this share was twelve percent.
There is a desire for education on this subject
According to the survey, there is a need for education and information on the subject: two-thirds of Dutch respondents and the majority of Dutch millennials and generation Z believe that Holocaust education should be mandatory in schools.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
