Verzetsmuseum

Top choice in Amsterdam

Anti-Hitler propoganda, display at the Verzetmuseum, Plantage Kerklaan 61a.

The museum of the Dutch Resistance brings the horror of German occupation in WWII vividly alive, using personal stories, letters, artefacts, films and photographs to illuminate local resistance to (but also collaboration with) the Nazis. There's also a section on the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) pre- and postwar. Labels are in Dutch and English, and there is a free audioguide available in multiple languages. Allow at least a couple of hours to explore the museum.

The Verzetsmuseum Junior section relates the stories of four Dutch children, putting the Resistance into context for kids with engaging interactive exhibits. The museum shop has a good selection of books, and the elegant cafe next door is a perfect refuge for a post-museum discussion on the politics of resistance over coffee and cakes.