‘Declaration of Aryan origins’
The first anti-Jewish regulations seemed rather harmless. In October 1940 all 200,000 civil servants were required to fill in an 'ancestry form', indicating their religion and that of their parents and grandparents. Everyone knew that the purpose of this ‘declaration of Aryan origins’ was to register Jewish civil servants, yet the response was massive compliance.

Dismissed
One month later the Jewish civil servants were dismissed. In Leiden and Delft, students went on strike to protest against the dismissal of their Jewish university teachers.

Registration
In January 1941, all Jews had to report for registration. Almost everyone obeyed. After all, what would happen if you refused? And why shouldn't you be open about your origins?

Jo Spier, typographer from Amsterdam:
'When the compulsory registration came for the Jews we didn't see any other way out except to comply. Sure, you might say we were just following orders. Obviously, we also had no idea what was awaiting us. No one could imagine that extermination camps would be at the end of it.'

This registration made it easier for the Germans to carry out other measures against the Jews later on.