During World War II, only a small proportion of the Dutch population was actively involved in resistance activities. The village of Aalten was an exception. Similar to the village at the start of the Asterix & Obelix comic books, Aalten showed considerable courage and bravery in its resistance against the occupying forces, by giving an enormous number of refugees a place to hide.

Some of the refugees were hidden in the attic of Markt 12, a historic building on the market in the centre of Aalten. This was right at the heart of the lion’s den, above the local German commander’s office, which was downstairs in the drawing room. In 2004, the building was converted into a museum and the attic room and commanders’ office were reinstated as they would have been at the time. The museum is home to many personal stories, which clearly illustrate how people were forced to make their own, very individual decisions during the war years.