Historians Ewout van der Horst and Martin van der Linde of the Overijsselacademie spoke with more than sixty farmers, farmers’ wives and related professional groups from Overijssel about the changes within the agricultural sector. The arrival of the milking machine, tractor and cubicle stall meant a major change in agricultural operations and the lives of farmers. With melancholy and pride, people talk about things like land, education, breeding, cooperatives and livestock markets, about how, with hard work, little by little they were able to farm ahead.
With the help of photographer and cameraman Albert Bartelds, the people’s life stories have also been portrayed.

Through the online platform MijnStadMijnDorp, hundreds of stories, films and photographs have been published that offer a personal glimpse into postwar farm life in Overijssel.

• For video footage of the interviews (excerpts), see here.
• For brief biographies of the interviewees and downloadable text edits of the interviews, see here.

In the richly illustrated book Vooruitboeren, the researchers describe how farming changed from tradition to agricultural entrepreneurship.

Interviews were prompted by the death of Gerrit ter Haars (Overijssel Dutch East Indies New Guinea Working Group) brother in Indonesia during the Indonesian war of independence and his feeling that Dutch veterans had been wronged.

Both Collection Overijssel (formerly Historical Centre Overijssel) and NIOD facilitated the interviews
facilitated by providing cameras and tapes. The objective was to
generate more attention to this war and all those involved through the publication of a book.
Participants were found through personal networks and snowball sampling.

The interviews focus on events and experiences in the years 1942 – 1962.
They mainly discuss Indonesia, the Netherlands and New Guinea. Themes include Second
World War, Indonesian revolution, reoccupation, independence struggle, war volunteers, conscripts, veterans, Darul Islam, TNI.

De oorlog ver weg, 1942-1949
Nederlands-Indie, de Japanse bezetting en de politionele acties

Auteur: Gerrit ter Haar

Uitgever: Gigaboek, Broek op Langedijk, 2013

ISBN: 9789085483755

De oorlog ver weg, 1949-1962

verhalen via interviews van burgers, militairen die de oorlog in Indië hebben meegemaakt

Auteur: Gerrit Ter Haar

Uitgever: Abc Uitgeverij, 2015
ISBN: 9789079859238