On 27th January and the surrounding days, the Theater Na de Dam team journeyed across Europe to watch the performances created by the Theatre of Remembrance partners to commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day.

The team had an excellent time getting to meet the youngsters and partner teams, exploring new cities and having the opportunity to see the hard work that everyone had put into realising their performances.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing reflections from the team on their visits. Today, read on to hear about Andrada Şimo-Mosk’s (Artistic Producer for Youngster Projects – EU & NL) visit to Bratislava and Arnout Van der Zwaal’s (Fundraiser) trip to Turin.

Andrada’s visit to Bratislava

Andrada attended the performance of The Courage to Be in Bratislava

On my first day in Bratislava, I decided to fully immerse myself in the city’s World War II history. The day unfolded with quiet reflection and visits to poignant war monuments. Just after a 10 minute uphill walk from my accommodation I arrived at Slavin. A war memorial and military cemetery. It honors Soviet soldiers who liberated Bratislava in 1945, their names carved into marble inscriptions. This historical site glorifies Red Army sacrifice while underscoring communist Czechoslovakia’s post-war alliance and reliance on the USSR. The serene atmosphere harmonized perfectly with the rainy, foggy panorama of the city stretching below.

Descending the hill, I made my way to Židovská 17, situated in the faded heart of Bratislava’s historic Jewish Quarter (Židovská ulica or Judengasse), near the Old Town and Bratislava Castle. The Jewish Museum of Culture (which is a branch of the Slovak National Museum) captures Jewish heritage through traditions, art, and Slovakia’s Jewish history. Highlights include exquisite everyday religious artifacts, detailed accounts of holiday customs, and photos of Holocaust victims.

What struck me most during the visit in the museum was discovering that discriminatory markings on Jews predated the Nazi era, with varied symbols appearing on clothing across centuries. Overall, the museum balanced celebration of vibrant life with solemn commemoration.

Wrapping up my tour in the same former Jewish Quarter, just five minutes away, I reached Rybné námestie, an unexpected spot (just off the Danube riverfront near the SNP Bridge in the Old Town), in search for the Holocaust memorial. The location of the monument marks the site of the Neolog Synagogue, demolished in 1969 for urban development. The memorial consists of a black granite walletched with the synagogue’s silhouette pairs with somber, abstract sculptures evoking deportation and abandoned homes, crowned by a Star of David. Inscriptions in Hebrew (“Zachor”) and Slovak (“Pamätaj”) simply read: Remember.

The next day, a chilly and misty Tuesday, January 27th, I caught a powerful performance by Post Bellum Slovakia. Right before curtain, I shortly spook to the young performers, wished them luck and shared mini waffles I’d brought from the Netherlands. These arrived just in time, fueling their sugar cravings. In the intimate black-box setting, they revived memories of Dalma Špitzerová and her sisters Lily and Iboja, with Iboja Wandall-Holm as a Slovak-Danish Holocaust survivor. The youngsters wove tales of societal exclusion, uncertainty, brutal camp conditions (via robotic choreography), and resistance to fascist regimes. Above all, they highlighted courage to stay true to oneself and human. Their talent and commitment to the storytelling amplified International Holocaust Remembrance Day’s urgency in turbulent times, inspiring me with their passion for preserving these vital stories.

Arnout’s visit to Turin

Arnout attended the performance of Spreading Voices in Turin

 The performance was held outside at the Museum del Risorgimento, a museum that tells the story around the historical events of the unison of Northern and Southern Italy (19th century). The museum is a part of a much bigger historical center of Turin, giving the performance more significance due to its relation with Italy’s modern history.  

The show tells the story of bombardments and deportations during the Second World War. It’s difficult not to relate the story of citizens of Turin to the experience of citizens of Kyiv in today’s world. While watching the youth perform, audio from interviews of survivors of the war give the show a thrilling dimension. We also heard sound bites from, for example, US President Donald Trump, talking about taking Greenland by force. Furthermore, the performing youth engages the audience to think about the contemporary meaning of war through the lense of discrimination and Otherism.

The performance excels due to the professionalism of the performers, even though most of them didn’t have a lot of prior experience in theatre — they recited complex historical facts and put them in an accessible context for their peers (most of the audience members were younger than 16 years).