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Gerarda de Visser

Born 14 Aug 1949

3 facts1 source

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

Facts and their sources

  • Born14 Aug 1949Taken as verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 14 Aug 1949

    Born

  2. 18 Dec 1977

    A daughter is born

Family

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Partner

Children · 1

During her lifetime

She has lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1940s · Gerarda is born

In the news1940

1940 Rotterdam Blitz Destruction

On 14 May 1940, German bombers destroyed the inner city of Rotterdam, killing 814 to 900 people and leaving 78,000 homeless.

Getting around

Improving travel times between towns

Between 1925 and 1949, traveling between towns became increasingly faster, though in 1930, the average travel time from Amsterdam to its 59 surrounding towns was still 89 minutes.

At the table

Famine food during the Hunger Winter

During the severe food shortages of the Hunger Winter in 1944–1945, desperate families consumed sugar beets, tulip bulbs, and potato peels. Some even used roasted chicory root as a coffee substitute and dried large leaves to smoke as a tobacco replacement.

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.Around the world · 1939–1945

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.

Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent · public domain

What people wore

Wartime Scarcity and Fashion Substitutes

During the German occupation, clothing became extremely scarce, leading women to paint their legs brown to simulate stockings and draw a seam line with an eyebrow pencil. Home-made dresses were crafted from scraps of fabric, and worn-out leather shoes were often replaced by shoes with wooden soles or ones made from paper twine.

Music

Music and Dance Bans During Occupation

During the German occupation in World War II, jazz was suppressed and bands were forced to change English-sounding names, while public dancing was strictly prohibited.

Daily life

School-provided soup during war shortages

Children were sometimes fed soup at school during the food shortage of the final war years, though it was often not very nutritious.