In 2010, well known Dutch theatre makers Jaïr Stranders and Bo Tarenskeen worried about the decreasing eloquence of the Remembrance of the Dead memorial service.

According to them, the distance between the current generations and the Second World War was not only increasing, they also felt that the character of the annual ceremony had become too general and abstract.

They felt that it threatened to make it impossible to properly reflect on the specific history of the Second World War.

By programming and producing multiple different performances that relate to the Second World War in a personal and contemporary manner, the initiative strives to make its audience reflect critically on the events during that time and how it still influences the world of today.

Ensembles, theatre makers, and artists that have contributed to the program so far are among others Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Het Nationale Toneel [nl], Wende, Typhoon, Huub van der Lubbe, Jenny Arean, Toneelgroep Maastricht, Theater Utrecht, the Ro Theater [nl], Rik van den Bos, De Theatertroep, Hadewych Minis, Freek de Jonge, Jan Jaap van der Wal, Lucretia van der Vloot and Het Toneelhuis.