Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum)
From May 1940 to May 1945, the Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany. The Dutch Resistance Museum documents how Dutch people responded to the increasing oppression of the occupying power.
The museum’s logo is set in Mark van Bronkhorst’s MVB Magnesium Condensed, an uncommon font whose thick-thin strokes and angled terminals do a decent job of emulating the hand lettered or painted signs and advertising of the 1920s–40s.
The main typeface for the graphics for the permanent exhibitions is PMN Caecilia by Dutch designer Peter Matthias Noordzij. FF Trixie, by fellow Dutchman Erik van Blokland, is used in the Junior section of the museum.
2015 annual report. Design: Jarno Aafjes Concept & Design. DTP: Zwaar Water.
Interior page of 2014 annual report showcasing the museum’s outdoor advertising.
Student visitor workbook.
1 Comment on “Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum)”
The Verzetsmuseum is an important and instructive place, with a focused exhibition. I’ve had the chance to see it a couple of years ago, and can recommend it to anyone visiting Amsterdam. The museum is not too big — it will take only a few hours from your schedule, but you’ll see plenty of things to chew over.
It’s good to see that the presentation received a facelift. Some of the panels were blemished by inaccurate translations and some typographic stereotypes. In the diagram below, the Dutch administration system is shown in a “normal” (i.e. roman) typeface (Belwe – actually a 1910s/1920s German design), while a blackletter (Old English, with roots in William Caslon’s design from the 18th century) is used for the system under German occupation.