FAQ

Soldier Of Orange (actual title: Soldaat van Oranje) follows a group of university students during World War II. At first, the war is not disruptive to their lives ("a spot of war would be quite exciting"), but when Germany invades The Netherlands, three in particular face hellish challenges.

It is based on a memoir by Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, of whom the lead character is a fictionalisation. The book is titled Soldaat van Oranje '40-'45.

Many Dutch citizens made the same criticism at the time. As Paul puts it in the commentary track, it was the right thing to do. Why let the Nazis have a Royal hostage?

Notable is that the Dutch citizenry came around to the belief that letting the Nazis have a Royal hostage was the worse of the two options fairly quickly.

The Zweetkamertje, or Sweat Room in English, is one of the oldest in the university complex. It is called the Sweat Room because in times past, doctorate students would wait in it for their turn to defend their thesis (a gruelling process) or wait for the results of doctoral exams.

The room is typically closed to the public, but students signing the wall are permitted to have up to five guests to witness it. Given that the article this author found this information is from 2021, the short answer is yes. Leiden doctoral graduates still sign the wall.

During the scene in which the graduating characters sign the wall (their part of the wall being an imposed piece of false wall), Paul Verhoeven states in the commentary that his signature is visible in the close-up.