WWII video shows Nazis partying with hotel staff in Alkmaar; 1st ever film footage found
The Alkmaar Regional Archives recently received a remarkable donation. A rusty tin contained a film reel from World War II showing high-ranking Nazi officers partying at the Hotel Proot in Alkmaar, along with the hotel staff, NOS reports. The video is available on the broadcaster’s website.
“It’s well known that there were great parties during the war,” Jesse van Dijl of the Alkmaar archive told the broadcaster. But this is the first film footage of such a party found. The film shows Nazi officers laughing, drinking, smoking, and making music at the hotel in Alkmaar.
The hotel owner and several employees are also in the film, apparently enjoying the party. Van Dijl is not surprised by this. “It happened all the time throughout the country. For many people, it was a way to cope with the difficult situation,” he said.
He called it striking that the images were preserved. “As liberation approached, many of these images disappeared into the fire. People were afraid they would be used as evidence against them once the war was over.”
The archive shared the footage with the grandchildren of the former hotel owner. “They found it painful and moving,” Van Dijl told the broadcaster. “They got to know their grandfather, who received a heavy sentence after the war, as a kind man.” The family still found it important to publish the footage. “They also recognize that it’s special historical footage.”
Researcher Harco Gijsbers of the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies agrees that this is this first video is a remarkable find. “In the 26 years that I’ve been doing this work, I’ve never seen footage like this. There were only a few photos.”
According to Gijsbers, a visit from a high-ranking SS official was likely the reason for the party. The video shows various ranks in attendance. “There were SS officers, members of the Wehrmacht, and I also saw a very high-ranking naval officer.” The identity of these individuals is still being investigated.
