Gek en Wijs tijdens Seyss – Cartoons And Rhymes
This booklet that I inherited from my father was published in the final days of the German occupation of The Netherlands in 1945 as an insert in the resistance newspaper Het Kompas with the title, ‘Gek en Wijs tijdens Seyss’, ‘Mad and Wise During Seyss’. It consisted of satirical cartoons and rhymes about right and wrong, good and bad behaviour of the Dutch, during the German occupation.
The title refers to Seyss-Inquart, the Reich Commissioner for the Netherlands during the occupation by the Germans during World War II. In the introduction, it states: ‘The booklet only wants to offer a small ray of sunshine now that the worst of the storm has passed, so that we can say during this recovery: “Do you remember… when” and then relievedly declare: “But fortunately, things will get better now!”‘”
Explanation of the cartoons and rhymes
This booklet was a form of social commentary created during the occupation of the Netherlands between 1940-1945. It used humor and satire to show bad and good behaviour during that occupation on tow pages opposite of each other (two panels-format).
- “Mad and Wise During Seyss”: The title is a play on words, suggesting that people behaved both foolishly and wisely during the occupation. “Seyss” refers to Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the Nazi official who governed the Netherlands during the war.
- Satirical cartoons and rhymes: The cartoons drawn bij Jan Lavies were used to criticize the collaborators and the occupiers, while also celebrating the resistance and the liberation.
- “A small ray of sunshine”: This phrase indicates that the booklet was intended to offer a moment of light-heartedness and relief after the dark years of war.
- “Do you remember… when”: The booklet was a way for people to share their memories and experiences of the occupation including good and bad behaviour by different groups of Dutch people..
In essence, the booklet was a popular cultural artifact that helped the Dutch people to come to terms with their wartime experiences. It combined humor and social commentary to create a lasting record of a difficult period in the history of The Netherlands. Opposing people that had collaborated with the German occupants and people that had resisted in different ways. Describing ‘good behavior’ and ‘bad behavior’, including looking the other ways.
More: Dutch WWII Resistance Cartoonists & Contact Tony
By using humor, satire, and symbolism, political cartoonists like Jan Lavies in this booklet, but also Maarten Toonder en Peter van Reen and their colleagues online and offline in any democratic country in the world can and should expose the truth, inspire hope, and mobilize resistance in the face of tyranny.
AI cartoons including AI-generated political & editorial cartoons and other forms of ‘political imagery’ can be a powerful tool for exposing the rise of dictatorship in any country in the world. Defending democracy and rule of law online and offline.
By raising awareness and mobilizing opposition, cartoons and other images like infographics can help to prevent the spread of authoritarianism and protect democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of creativity.
Tony de Bree
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