Omrop Fryslân
In association with
Omrop Fryslân
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 12:18
Men in sporty clothes, women in neat coats and skirts. This is what the skaters of the Elfstedentocht in 1942 apparently looked like. The Frisian Film Archive has discovered footage of it in its archives.
The images had been in the depot for years, but could only be viewed when the archive received a new scanner. “This allows us to view and save films frame by frame. That’s how we came across this unique material,” says coordinator Jurjen Enzing. Omrop Fryslân.
No competition for women
The video shows fragments of the Elfstedentocht on January 22, 1942. It was freezing at 17 degrees, although that did not seem to bother the participants.
Although women were only allowed to participate as touring riders at the time, the first three were still greeted enthusiastically at the finish. Antje Schaap, Wopkje Kooistra and Sjoerdtje Faber received flowers from the Eleven Cities Association.
The video shows that they were received as heroines:
New images of the Elfstedentocht 1942
Jessica Merkens published a book about it last year women in the Elfstedentocht. “They received a lot of press interest and letters and fans from all over the world,” she says. “Their performance was appreciated, even though they were participating in the tour.”
The difference in clothing between men and women could hardly be greater: the men skated in trousers and sporty uniforms, the women in neat coats, jackets and long skirts. “That is not because they wanted to look beautiful especially on this day,” Merkens explains. “But this was asked of them at that time. Women were supposed to wear skirts and therefore also skate.”
It is difficult to deduce from the images that the tour took place during wartime. Only Werner Friedrich Ross, the highest boss of the Nazis in the province, passes by in a flash in his German uniform.
Hidden gems
At the Frisian film archive they are happy with the find, and the success with the new scanner leaves us wanting more. “I suspect that there are still many film images of amateur filmmakers in the attics,” Enzing told the regional broadcaster. “There are certainly beautiful gems among them that we can discover and spread with our new scanner.”
2024-01-18 11:18:51
#Honoring #female #winners #images #Elfstedentocht
