Guided Tour: ARTIS in Wartime
- de Rots
Listen to the different stories about the people and animals who stayed at ARTIS during the Second World War, and see the buildings and animal enclosures through a different lens.
Hiding place
During the Second World War, ARTIS served as a hiding place for resistance members and Jewish people. Young men hid behind the scenes of the animal enclosures during raids. While people in hiding sought refuge there, German soldiers came to the zoo to relax.
In the first years of the war, children collected acorns and seeds for the animals. During the Hunger Winter, however, visitors tried to steal food from the animal enclosures in order to survive.
Struggle and remembrance
When ARTIS was hit by incendiary bombs, panic broke out among both people and animals. In 1943, the resistance carried out an attack on the Population Register, which was housed in the Members’ Rooms on Plantage Kerklaan. With this action, the resistance hoped to destroy as many personal records as possible and hinder the identification and persecution of Jewish people. This courageous act is still commemorated every year.
During this guided tour through ARTIS-Park, you will discover different stories about the people and animals who stayed at ARTIS during the Second World War, allowing you to see the buildings and animal enclosures with new eyes.