Dark Tourism and Affect: Rendering of Historical Tragedy at Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Westerbork

Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Westerbork are among the most visited dark tourist spots in the Netherlands, highlighting their significance. Dark tourism involves visiting places where historical tragedies, often involving death, occurred, with the encounter mediated to render it less threatening. These sites tied to memories of events like World War II, such as Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Amersfoort, often evoke strong emotions and form affective relations. This thesis examines how historical tragedies are presented at these sites, focusing on affective relations, defined as strong emotional responses, such as a sense of loss when viewing the names of fallen soldiers. While much research on dark tourism focuses on visitors, there is a lack of emphasis on Dutch tourist spots, tours, tour guides, and how these sites adapt to different generations and visualize past realities. To explore this, two methodologies were applied at Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Westerbork: non-representational theory and interviews. Non-representational theory analyzes relational materialism, practices, and how bodies can be affected. Interviews with those involved in storytelling at these camps were semi-structured, featuring direct and follow-up questions. The analysis reveals that Dutch transit camps like Kamp Amersfoort and Kamp Westerbork convey historical tragedies through various means, including physical spaces, objects, collection materials, museum exhibitions, guided and audio tours, virtual reality, publications, graphic novels, and lessons. Both camps aim to create affective relations using diverse methods to foster identification, deepen understanding, and ensure the historical tragedies are effectively conveyed and remembered.