Gek en Wijs tijdens Seyss – Mad and Wise During Seyss – Cartoons And Rhymes Explained

This small booklet was published in 1945 on inexpensive paper 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. This is the copy I inhereted from my father who was in the resistance during the German occupation.

The title refers to Seyss-Inquart, the Reich Commissioner 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!”‘”

Cartoons and rhymes explained

This booklet was published shortly after the liberation of the Netherlands in May 1945 although some cartoons and rhymes had already been published during the German occupation. It used humor and satire to process the 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 was appointed by Hitler to govern the Netherlands during the war.
  • Satirical cartoons and rhymes: The cartoons were made by unknown artists to criticize the collaborators who made a lot of money during the occupation and the occupiers, while also celebrating the resistance and the liberation in May 1945 as you can see in the example above this blog.
  • “A small ray of sunshine”: The booklet was intended to offer a moment of light-heartedness and relief after the dark years of war including the mass deportation of Jewish families.
  • “Do you remember… when”: The cartoons and the rhymes helped people to share their memories and experiences of the occupation.

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The booklet was 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. In which some people collaborated with the Germans while others resisted in an active or in a passive way.

By using humor, satire, and symbolism, political cartoonists like Jan Lavies in this booklet and Maarten Toonder and Peter van Reen exposed the truth, inspire hoped, and mobilized resistance in the face of tyranny. Providing next generations with important lessons learned including us today..

Political cartoons including AI-generated political cartoons and other forms of political imagery’, can still be a powerful tool for exposing the rise of dictatorship for people that can not draw themselves. By raising awareness and mobilizing opposition, political imaginery including ai-generated political imagery can help to prevent the spread of authoritarianism and protect democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of speech.

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