Gek en Wijs tijdens Seyss – Cartoons And Rhymes
This booklet that I inherited from my father was published in 1945 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, 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 shortly after the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945. It used humor and satire to process the traumatic experiences of the German occupation.
- “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.
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By using humor, satire, and symbolism, political cartoonists like Jan Lavies, but also Maarten Toonder en Peter and their colleagues in any country in the world can and should expose the truth, inspire hope, and mobilize resistance in the face of tyranny. Political cartoons including AI-generated political cartoons and other forms of ‘political imagery’ including AI-generated political deepfakes, can be a powerful tool for exposing the rise of dictatorship in any country in the world. By raising awareness and mobilizing opposition, these images can help to prevent the spread of authoritarianism and protect democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of creativity.
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