Netherlands. Bronze War Memorial Medal – Lion in Net & Poem by Jan Campert (20th Century)
Obverse
A lion ensnared in a net, cowering under threat. A vulture circles above while a rat approaches from below – symbolic of mortal danger and betrayal. The image suggests oppression, persecution, and isolation under occupation.
Reverse
Four lines from a well-known wartime poem by Dutch resistance writer Jan Campert:
“WAT KAN EEN MAN OPRECHT EN TROUW / NOG DOEN IN ZULK EEN TIJD / HIJ KUST ZIJN KIND, HIJ KUST ZIJN VROUW / EN STRIJDT EEN IJDELE STRIJD.”
(“What can a man, honest and faithful / still do in times like these / He kisses his child, he kisses his wife / and fights a hopeless fight.”)
Above and below the text: symbolic hexagonal motifs, one with a family group, the other with a solitary figure before a descent – evoking themes of home, sacrifice and imprisonment.
Historical Context
This Dutch war memorial medal was designed in the aftermath of World War II to commemorate the courage, tragedy, and moral struggle of the resistance. The imagery is stark and allegorical, while the inclusion of Jan Campert’s verses underscores the emotional toll and ethical commitment of ordinary individuals under Nazi occupation. Campert died in Neuengamme concentration camp in 1943.
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