Nationaal Onderduikmuseum: personal stories of hiding and resistance

Entrance of the Nationaal Onderduikmuseum in Aalten: a glass entrance between old brick buildings, with cobblestones in front. — The entrance of the Nationaal Onderduikmuseum in Aalten.Photo: Ben Lammers / Nationaal Onderduikmuseum · provided by the museum

Small stories, wider history

The museum explores the choices and dilemmas ordinary people faced during the Second World War. Their stories connect the history of hiding and resistance with questions about democracy and the rule of law today.

A wartime kitchen with a pram, a stove and a mantelpiece with jars. — The kitchen in the house on the Markt.Photo: Daniel Hoitink / Nationaal Onderduikmuseum · provided by the museum

Two realities in one house

The Kempink family lived in the historic building at Markt 12 with their two young children. Eight people were hidden in the attic while the German Ortskommandant used the front room as an office. The vaulted cellar sheltered neighbours during air raids.

A vaulted cellar with long wooden benches, wall lamps and a cabinet with a screen. — The vaulted air-raid shelter.Photo: Daniel Hoitink / Nationaal Onderduikmuseum · provided by the museum

Encounter the stories

Visitors can explore the hiding space and stories of people who experienced the war, including evacuees from Scheveningen. The escape room has currently been dismantled and cannot be booked.

A low opening in a stone wall reveals a hidden space with a milk churn and a cushion; jute sacks in the foreground. — The hiding place.Photo: Daniel Hoitink / Nationaal Onderduikmuseum · provided by the museum

Sources

This description is based on information supplied by the Nationaal Onderduikmuseum for its profile on 2 October 2026. Check current visitor information with the museum.

Nationaal Onderduikmuseum — onderduiken en Markt 12
Nationaal Onderduikmuseum — contact