Rarely seen footage has emerged offering a chilling glimpse into life during World War II, depicting high-ranking German officers celebrating within the walls of a Dutch hotel. The film, recently discovered in a rusty can within the Regional archive of Alkmaar, provides a unique and unsettling visual record of occupation-era social life and collaboration in the Netherlands. Historians say the footage, showing officers of various ranks enjoying leisure activities at Hotel Proot in Alkmaar, is unprecedented and offers new insight into the period.
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Tessa Neijland
Domestic Affairs Reporter
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Tessa Neijland
Domestic Affairs Reporter
Recently, the Regional Archive of Alkmaar received a remarkable donation: a rusty can containing a grainy, aged film reel from World War II. The footage depicts high-ranking German officers celebrating at Hotel Proot in Alkmaar, alongside hotel staff.
The film shows people smoking, drinking, making music, and laughing.
Rare footage of a Nazi party in an Alkmaar hotel
“It’s well known that there was a lot of partying during the war,” says Jesse van Dijl of the Alkmaar archive. “But there hadn’t been any moving images of it before.”
Researcher Harco Gijsbers of the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies agrees. “In the 26 years I’ve been doing this work, I’ve never seen footage like this. There were only a few photos.”
Collaboration
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Gijsbers believes the arrival of a high-ranking SS official in Alkmaar prompted the party. Various ranks of the Nazi regime are present. “There are SS officers, members of the Wehrmacht, and I also see a very high-ranking naval officer,” says Gijsbers. The researcher notes that these different factions weren’t often seen together. “Because there could be friction.” Their identities are still under investigation.
Hotel Proot staff are seen celebrating with the Germans. The hotel owner and several employees are visible in the footage.
The fact that there was collaboration with the Germans comes as no surprise to curator Van Dijl. “That happened constantly throughout the country. For many people, it was a way to get through a difficult situation,” he says. The newly discovered footage offers a rare visual record of this wartime reality.
However, it’s remarkable that these images survived. “As liberation approached, many images were destroyed in fireplaces. People were afraid it would be used as evidence against them when the war was over.”
Mussert
The Alkmaar hotel frequently hosted Nazi gatherings during the war. “NSB leader Mussert often ate there, and the NSB held film and camaraderie evenings,” says Gijsbers. There were likely regular parties as well. “The owner was quite pro-German.”
Van Dijl adds that everyone in Alkmaar knew that things were “not right” at the hotel. “It was common knowledge that the Germans were more than welcome here. And now, for the first time, that’s really captured on film.”
Descendants
Descendants of the former hotel owner have also seen the footage. “They found it painful and moving,” says Van Dijl, who is in contact with the grandchildren. “They knew their grandfather, who received a substantial sentence after the war, as a kind man.”
However, the family believes it’s important for the images to be released. “They also see that these are special, historical images. But it’s very difficult for them.”
The date the video was made is unclear, as is who filmed it. “All we know is that it was filmed at the request of the Germans. That couldn’t be otherwise, as filming was strictly prohibited,” says Van Dijl. “The death penalty was the punishment.”
