Nozems, Provo's and Hippies

After the Second World War (from 1945) there was a major baby boom; many children were born in a short time. This is now also called the 'baby boom'. These used to be the rebellious youth of their time.

Before the war, your parents were your role models and you lived according to the rules of your parents and those of society. After the Second World War (from 1945) this became less and less important among young people. Young people also went to church less and less. The economy continued to improve and young people had more and more to spend. As a result, young people were less concerned with their parents and more concerned with their peers. These peers determined how you lived and they became increasingly important for your upbringing and the development of your identity.

The first youth culture to emerge was the Nozems. In the 1950s the economy improved, giving young people more money to spend. They used this to buy jeans, leather jackets and Zündapp or Kreidler mopeds. If you came from a richer family you could buy a Puch moped. The nozems' hair was covered in gel, combed in a quiff or with a tight parting. Women often had cotton candy hairstyles. The music the nozems listened to was mainly Rock 'n' Roll. The artists included included Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.

The different groups of nozems often did not get along well with each other. For example, there were groups of nozems in New York, London and Paris. and, for example, in Amsterdam East who often fought with each other. The motorcycle club Hells Angels later emerged from the nozems.

In addition to the nozems, there were also the provos. This name is derived from provoke. This youth culture arose because young people were disappointed in classical socialism. The Provos meddled noisily in domestic and foreign politics. This youth culture emerged under the leadership of the unemployed window cleaner Robert Jasper Grootveld. As a protest against consumer society, he held comic meetings. These were also called “happenings”. In 1966, the Provo movement targeted the royal family, where they exploded smoke bombs during the wedding of Crown Princess Beatrix to the German Claus von Amsberg.

Another youth culture also came over from the United Kingdom through the music of The Beatles, namely the hippies. They wanted to rebel against the materialistic and capitalist society and wanted freedom for everyone. They used a lot of drugs to gain new ideas. They therefore regarded themselves more as a philosophical movement. A festival that was created by this movement is the Festival American Woodstock festival from 1969 in New York City.

Youthculture               Era                Characteristics

Nozems                        '50s               Rock-'n-Roll, Rebellion, Individuality

Provo's                         '60s               Political Action, Social change

Hippies                   '60s and '70s      Peace, Love, Nature, Spirituality