Blessed Radio
From the collection of the Casemate Museum in Kornwerderzand, Province of Friesland.
h 19 cm x w 14 cm
1943-1945
In May 1943, the Germans tried with all their means to jam the reception of foreign radio stations, including Radio Oranje (Radio Free Orange) from England. But this had little effect and the majority of the Dutch population continued to listen to these forbidden broadcasters.
Then a drastic measure was enacted: the Dutch population was ordered to turn over their radios. Many complied, though with heavy hearts given it had taken them a long time to save for such a costly possession. Some 800,000 radios were surrendered by people. Others hid their radios in a closet or under the floorboards only to take them out again when the coast was clear. People also built simple radios that could be concealed behind a painting, in a kitchen canister or a cigar box. The owner of this device converted a Christian songbook into a hiding place for a small radio – tucked away in the pages of the worship service – on which he listened to illegal radio stations.