“Four tables of food and clothing ration stamps – Nazi-occupied Netherlands during the ‘Hunger Winter’ toward the end of World War II – October-November 1944.
1-2. Two full VOEDINGSMIDDELEN tables – ‘foodstuffs’ – from Nazi-occupied Netherlands, October-November 1944 – during the ‘Hunger Winter’ toward the end of World War II. Complete tables of food ration stamps for bread, potatoes, butter, meat, and ‘general.’ These tables were preserved intact because they were from the ‘Hunger Months’ when stores in the Netherlands were empty, and even basic food products were unavailable. Complete tables with 164 stamps each.
TEXTIELKAART – textile card – ration stamps for textiles.
A food coupon card.
The Hunger Winter in the Netherlands during the winter of 1944-1945, also known as the ‘Hongerwinter’ in Dutch, was a mass famine that occurred during the late stages of World War II in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, particularly in the densely populated western regions. A German punitive action restricting movement in the country led to severe malnutrition. A population of about 4.5 million people faced starvation, surviving with the help of soup kitchens. The lack of fuel, electricity, and heating worsened the situation. The number of deaths directly resulting from the famine was approximately 18,000 people.
Food supplies in cities in the western part of the country were quickly depleted. In cities like Amsterdam, food rations per person dropped to less than 1,000 calories a day by the end of November 1944, falling to 580 calories by the end of February 1945. Butter supplies ceased in October 1944, and the supply of vegetable fats was reduced to a mere 1.3 liters per person over seven months. One hundred grams of cheese were rationed per person every two weeks. Meat ration coupons became worthless. Bread rations dropped from 2,200 grams per week to 1,000 grams per week in October 1944 and to 400 grams per week by April 1945. This, along with one kilogram of potatoes, constituted the weekly food ration per person. Even the black market ran out of food. Residents were entitled to receive soup made from potato peels at soup kitchens in exchange for presenting food coupons, and long queues formed at their doors in the cold winter conditions. The famine ended with the liberation of all of the Netherlands from German occupation in May 1945. Just before this, the German administration agreed to allow Allied planes to drop food supplies over the occupied territories in two operations that took place at the end of April and early May. Shortly afterward, food was also delivered to German-occupied territory in the Netherlands by Allied trucks.
Very good condition.
