On the run from Hitler - The England voyage of the Oznowicz family

The exhibition Fleeing Hitler - The Oznowicz Family's England Voyage tells the story of amateur puppet-makers Isidore Oznowicz and his wife Françoise Ghevaert, who flee Antwerp in May 1940 because of the German invasion. They travel via France, Casablanca and Lisbon to England, where Isidore joins the Princess Irene Brigade. In the Brigade, Isidore is trained as a seiner. He learns Morse code and transmits messages by radio. This is an important job, especially when the Brigade starts fighting with the Allied armies from August 1944. Together with the rest of the Brigade, Isidore helps liberate Belgium and the southern Netherlands.

Engelandvaarders
More than 2,100 Dutchmen, the ‘Engelandvaarders’, make a similar journey to support the fight against the Germans. The Dutch government in exile collects extensive files on these refugees. Using these files, Isidore and Francoise's journey has been reconstructed, much to the delight of their son Frank Oz. He has been trying for years to find out what his parents experienced during the war. Frank Oz is known as a director and puppeteer, especially of characters in Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Star Wars. For the exhibition, he is making his parents' puppets available. Including the special Hitler doll they buried in the backyard during the war.