The Hague Remembers

• Date: 04 May
• Time: 14:30
• Location: Grote Kerk Den Haag

What we must not forget

Listening to learn, telling to connect

On May 4, we commemorate the victims of war and violence: then and now, here and worldwide. The stories from the Second World War remain essential in this regard, especially now that fewer and fewer people can tell them from their own experience. Their voices must not be silenced; they remind us of what was at stake and still is. But war does not stop at our borders or at the past. Even today, people flee, people die, people lose their homes. Only by actively listening and passing on stories does ‘Never Again’ remain a promise with substance.

On May 4, 2026, space will be made for all voices and stories, regardless of origin, religion, or history. For the stories of the Second World War *and* the stories of war victims after 1945. For whoever listens learns, and whoever tells, connects. In this way, we do justice to the past and the present, we bear the shared responsibility to continue remembering what we must not forget, and we learn to understand what war and freedom mean to ourselves and others.

Central Lecture

Comedian Hermes Ahmadi, a former refugee himself, wonders why wars still exist. He fled from them himself; every year, the Second World War is commemorated in his new homeland, the Netherlands, yet now even a country that tried to remain neutral for two world wars is fully engaged in war rhetoric and the accompanying war economy. During this lecture, Hermes explores the human mind with the question of whether all wars will ever come to an end.

Hermes Ahmadi (1987) is an Afghan comedian with a Dutch passport, who was born in the former Soviet Union. As a child, he fled with his parents and two sisters due to the wars in Afghanistan; in 1997, he found his new home in the Netherlands. There, Hermes has lived in various villages and cities, thereby getting to know Dutch culture. Through his many travels, he became fascinated by cultures and societies. He decided to study sociology in Amsterdam. After his education, Hermes traveled and worked as a teacher, cook, and social worker, but eventually found his passion in cabaret. Now he tours the country as a stand-up comedian and cabaret performer, in both Dutch and English. Currently, he is touring with his show *U Bevindt Zich Hier* (You Are Here), about war, peace, integration, and the value of a human life.

Video Portrait

This year, a video portrait of Minka Kaszó from The Hague, developed especially for *Den Haag Herdenkt* (The Hague Remembers), the daughter of two resistance fighters, will be screened.

Music

Musicians play music by The Hague composer Fania Chapiro. Chapiro was born in 1926 in Surabaya (Indonesia, then Dutch East Indies), to a Russian-Jewish father and a Dutch mother. She was a child prodigy, an incredibly talented piano player and composer. As a young teenager, she went to live and study in Paris, but when she—while on vacation in the Netherlands—could no longer return to France due to the outbreak of war, the family settled in the Bezuidenhout district of The Hague. She gave a few more performances, including with the Residentie Orchestra, but her tours to the US and the Dutch East Indies were cancelled due to the war. Because she refused to join the Kultuurkamer, her concerts were held illegally in private homes. All her compositions were lost in the bombing of Bezuidenhout in 1945. Fortunately, Fania and her family survived the war. After the war, she built an international career. She passed away in 1994.

In keeping with tradition, a piano performance is also given by a student from Segbroek College. This year, Evi Ponsioen, who also performed at Den Haag Herdenkt two years ago, demonstrates her progress with Tchaikovsky's October.

Practical information

The Hague Remembers
Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
Location: Grote Kerk The Hague, Rond de Grote Kerk 12

Dialogues on 'What we must not forget'

Start: 14:30
End: +/- 16:30

Commemoration service
Doors open: 17:30
Commemoration service: +/- 17:45 - until 19:00 at the latest

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