1945 shooting on Dam square, Amsterdam

The 1945 shooting on Dam square took place during the liberation of Amsterdam on 7 May 1945, in the last days of World War II in Europe.

German soldiers fired machine guns into a large crowd gathered on Dam square to celebrate the end of the war, killing over 30 people.

[3] On 7 May, thousands of people gathered on the Dam, the central square of the city, to celebrate the end of the war and welcome the Allied soldiers.

Shortly after noon, a handful of Humber Armoured Cars of the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, led by Acting-Lieutenant Colonel Richard Taite, began to approach the Dam by way of the Rokin to carry out reconnaissance.

German soldiers then appeared in the windows, on the balcony and on the roof of the Groote Club and started firing into the crowd with machine guns.

[4] In another version of events, the shooting had already ended by the time they reached the Groote Club, after local forces had fired bazooka rockets at the building, or threatened to do so.

[6] Tens of thousands gathered on Dam square on 9 May to celebrate the liberation and listen to speeches by Prime Minister Gerbrandy and others.