The underground camera

No photography allowed

The resistance group was led by Fritz Kahlenberg and Tonny van Renterghem. From November 1944, they and fourteen photographers worked to record life under German occupation. Taking photographs on the street was prohibited at that time. Violating that prohibition was dangerous.

Resistance

Kahlenberg, a German Jew, emigrated to Amsterdam in 1933 and was active in the resistance. Van Renterghem had a military background and was also active in the resistance during the occupation. Although he was not a photographer himself, he played a crucial role in the coordination between De Ondergedoken Camera and other resistance groups. The intention was to smuggle the images to London, in order to convince the Dutch government of the necessity of food drops in the Netherlands. This never happened.

The photos give a realistic picture of daily life in occupied Amsterdam during the last months of the war. This exhibition provides a unique insight into the daring missions of the resistance group and their contribution to the image of the occupation and the Hunger Winter.