Nationaal Monument op de Dam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nationaal Monument op de Dam is a World War II monument in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Located at the Dam Square, the monument was built in 1956 to honor the casualties of the war. In May of each year, the Remembrance of the Dead ceremony is held to remember all those who were lost in the war.

Dam Square is the historic center of Amsterdam. Before the present day National Monument was built, Naatije van de Dam stood in the square. This monument honored the Ten Days’ Campaign and stood in the square until 1914.

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The final monument was revealed in May of 1956. Since its reveal, it has gone through two restorations: One in 1965 and one in 1997. During the second restoration, the monument was dissembled to replace the brick interior with concrete.

The pillar of the monument features a Latin inscription and a Dutch poem can be found on the wall behind the pillar. Much like the temporary monument, the National Monument’s wall feature 12 urns with soil from the execution ground, war cemeteries and Dutch East Indies. The 72 foot structure depicts four men, a woman, child and men with dogs. These figures represent peace, resistance and war.