National Remembrance Day 15 August 1945
Ceremonies
On 15 August, we commemorate the end of the Second World War for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and remember all victims of the war against Japan and the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. The experiences of war and the large-scale displacement that followed continue to have an impact to this day on the 2 million Dutch people who have an Indonesian war story in their family, as well as on our society as a whole.
About the remembrance ceremony
Every year on 15 August, the official end of the Second World War in the Kingdom of the Netherlands is commemorated and all victims of the war against Japan and the Japanese occupation of the former Dutch East Indies are remembered. In 2025, the National Commemoration will again take place on Friday 15 August on the field near the Indies Monument in The Hague.
Members of the Residentie Bachkoor and Residentie Kamerkoor participate in the commemoration ceremony every year. The choirs from The Hague will perform the Indisch Onze Vader, among other pieces. The ceremony lasts over an hour and concludes with a parade past the monument. The commemoration ceremony is open to the public. There are a large number of free seats available.
More information
Live TV broadcast NOS National Remembrance Day 15 August
This year, there will again be a live broadcast (on NPO1 from 7 p.m.) of the commemoration by the NOS on TV.
Indies Monument
The commemoration in The Hague takes place at the Indies Monument in the Scheveningse Bosjes. The memorial was created in 1988 and unveiled by Queen Beatrix. The monument, bronze statues, a map of the Indies and a commemorative text, was designed by Jaroslawa Dankowa. Later, a bell and the Indies Monument were added around the Indisch Monument.
Accessibility Indies Monument
The Indisch Monument is located near the water feature in the Scheveningse Bosjes on Prof. B.M. Teldersweg, near Madurodam. There are no parking facilities at the Indisch Monument. The organisation therefore recommends using public transport. From both stations in The Hague, it takes about 15 minutes by tram. Tram 1 towards Scheveningen stops at the World Forum stop, from where it is a 500-metre walk to the Indisch Monument. Tram 9 takes you to the Madurodam stop. From there, it is 1200 metres to the Indisch Monument.
