My grandfather is 85 years old and is a descendent of Frederick Koolhoven, founder of N.V. Koolhoven which constructed military aircraft for the Dutch air force during the war up until the Blitzkrieg in 1940 which razed its facilities. He left to the United States around 10 years after the war in the 1950's so he was around up until (mostly) the end.
This is for a college history assignment. While I know I can do research on it, I want to try and get down to some things I wouldn't know I should have been researching.
I regretfully never really took the time to pay attention to some of the stories he has shared but ones I do recall says he was in the middle of it all. Such as having blonde hair and blue eyes allowed him to find German soldiers to escort him home after school to avoid being sent off or killed.
What are some topics I can focus on or specific questions I should ask to find out more about the life in Netherlands during WWII?
OP, I listed a bunch of questions, but then I realized I had done the math wrong and assumed your grandfather was an adult during the occupation. I've since deleted that post, but am compiling another list directed towards a child's experience. I will update this comment later this evening with those questions.
OK, here is a different list of questions that would be better directed towards the experience of a child.
Ok, this is all for now. As before, I'd be very interested in reading what you eventually write. And again, make sure and use this time, first and foremost, to bond with your gramps. College is important, but getting to know your family is more so.
My father was with the Underground after he left hiding. ask him how his neighbors/friends/family felt about the resistance to the occupying forces and those in the community dealt with collaborators. How did he and his family cope? with the blitzkrieg destroying the plant, was there damage to the city? was his home hit? Did he resist, and if so, how?
(my father was interviewed for Spielberg's Shoah)
I don't know how personal you'd like to get with the questions, but you could ask him how he, as a young boy, processed and perceived what was happening around him. How did he rationalize the abduction and internment of any potential friends or neighbours? When did he realize that things in his community were going to be rapidly changing? Today, does he feel guilty because he was able to be escorted while others around him were being murdered or persecuted?
A couple of related points, if I may. My work editing documentaries have caused me to watch thousands of hours of interview.
Don't be afraid to let this evolve as a conversation. If something comes up that interests you, follow the thought before returning to the next question. Allow one anecdote to lead to another, because oftentimes the most interesting comment made isn't in direct response to a prepared question.
Don't be concerned when you get a 'nothing' answer from several of your queries. That's normal, and nothing to be concerned about.
Watch out for the difference between opinion, and memory. You're primarily after what it was like at the time, and only secondarily what he thinks about it now. Your goal is to assist him back to his past, and for him to re-experience the sights smells and textures of his youth. The way memory works is that we remember things most accurately when we haven't thought of them since the event. Help him do that, and you'll get something truly worthwhile for you both.
Oh, and test your recording kit before you begin! Enjoy.
I've heard Canadians were quite well regarded in Holland after liberation. I would be curious to hear if he remembers any interactions with Canadian soldiers, positive or negative.