Rails of Reflection

The legacy of companies involved in the Holocaust, especially those in the public transport sector, has become a focal point of scrutiny, with the train symbolising the mass deportations to concentration and extermination camps. This thesis examines the Nederlandse Spoorwegen’s (NS) engagement with its historical role in the Holocaust from 1945 to the present. The main question guiding this research is: How has NS managed its public image concerning its role in the transportation of Jews, Sinti, and Roma during World War II in the context of Dutch memory culture since 1945? Utilising historiographical analysis, archival research, interviews with experts and stakeholders, and supplementary historical web research, this study traces and outlines the developments of NS’s public image strategies, with Dutch memory culture of World War II serving as a contextual framework. The research findings illustrate NS’s initial efforts to shape a post-war narrative of resistance while downplaying its wartime collaboration, followed by strategic redirections of public attention and an eventual critical but cautious engagement with its past. The findings highlight NS’s navigations through selective memory and corporate communication strategies to construct and revise its public image. They demonstrate NS’s responses to external scrutiny and internal cultural influences, showcasing shifts from denial to acknowledgment, and the complexities of addressing historical accountability amidst societal expectations and developments.