Oorlogsgeluid in de Stad en Stadsgeluid in Oorlogstijd: Klank en Betekenis

This article deals with the sound scape of Amsterdam during World War ii. It examines the sounds of war that residents of Amsterdam could hear, and the changing sounds of life in the city due to the interruption of former routines. It shows how the residents more or less adapted to the sounds of war and how familiar sounds took on entirely new meanings. As it turns out, experiences of war are not just related to ear deafening noise, but also include silence, music and daily sounds. The ensuing volatility of the meaning of sounds in times of crises like war once more makes clear that by solely listening to recordings we cannot understand what these sounds signified to people in the past.