The Nationaal Onderduikmuseum (National Hideout Museum) in Aalten presents how people in the Netherlands and Germany experienced the Second World War and how they reacted to the occupation. The museum’s main focus is on the social and emotional influence of the war on civilians.

The national Onderduikmuseum Aalten tells the story of living in a community in unusual times. It shows an image of daily life for Dutch and German people during the Second World War. Extensive attention is paid to the people who were in hiding in the municipality of Aalten. In the museum stories of people in wartimes can be experienced in an interactive way. Attention is paid to how much the daily life of normal people changed and what kind of difficult choices they had to make. In the museum you can look for the stories of people who lived during the war and connect them to current events.

The museum is housed in a special building, a state monument that is furnished to the atmosphere of the Second World War. The war is discussed in nine different rooms. Each of them has its own theme. The original hideout place and air raid shelter of the house are both still accessible. The museum also has an Escaperoom focussing on freedom. Here you are faced with questions and dilemmas that you encounter when you’re on the run. Besides the hideout theme, the museum also has a huge collection on Aaltens history, including its textile and horn industry.