History

The “Polizeiliche Juden-Durchgangslager Westerbork” was not originally a German facility. In 1939, the Dutch brought together the numerous German-Jewish refugees in a central camp, which was built with funds from the Jewish Dutch community in the middle of "nowhere". Where today bushes and trees form an idyllic environment for the memorial site, there used to be only heathland - and wind, dust and mosquitoes...

 

On October 9, 1939, the first group of German refugees arrived in Camp Westerbork; 22 people who fled to the Netherlands, partly because of the frightening events in the Reich on November 9th/10th, 1938. As early as April 1940, there were over 700 people in the camp, which was then still run by the Dutch.

In May 1940, these people tried to continue to flee because Nazi Germany had invaded (and ultimately occupied) the neutral Netherlands. This venture was not successful and the German Jews had to go back to the camp.

 

The "Kamp W" remained under Dutch administration until July 1, 1942, although under significantly stricter conditions and with brisk construction activity in order to increase capacity. Ultimately, after the intensified anti-Jewish measures in the occupied country in October 1942, more than 17,000 (!) people were crammed into huge barracks that were bursting with people on an area measuring around 500 x 500 meters. Most of them didn't stay there for long, but went "on transport" from the summer of 1942, mostly in cattle cars - and usually to their death! However, the camp management tried to hide this by all possible means, such as compulsory work, cultural and sports activities and an excellent hospital, in order not to stir up panic and to ensure that the transports ran smoothly.

 

In the publication "Kamp Westerbork 1939-1945, Informatie voor je werkstuk of spreekbeurt" the destinations and number of victims of the transports are given as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The longest-serving German commander, SS-Obersturmführer Albert Konrad Gemmeker, steadfastly denied in his trial after the war that he knew about the events and fate of the people in the camps in the east. He got away with relatively light punishment.

In addition to its character as a transit camp, Westerbork resembled a labor camp with numerous workshops, outdoor work and workspaces for the (re) recovery of raw materials and materials important to the war effort. Anyone who had work could hope to stay.

On May 19, 1944, a transport with (among others) 245 people from the Sinti and Roma group left Westerbork. In the days before, these people were arrested by Dutch police on the orders of the German occupiers and taken to the Westerbork camp. This is also part of the sad truth about this place that the National Socialists turned into a place of horror.

 

On April 12, 1945, Westerbork was liberated by Canadian troops. At this point, the camp commandant had already "recommended" himself (in his Mercedes) to Amsterdam, which was still under German occupation. Later, NSBers and collaborators were arrested in Westerbork before the camp served as a training camp for soldiers from the Dutch East Indies in 1948/49. After Indonesia's independence, Dutch Indonesians found a meeting point here under the name "De Schattenberg". The last residents to live in the "Woonoord Schattenberg" from 1951 to 1971 were people from the former colony here, especially from the Moluccas.

 

Afterwards, Kamp Westerbork was demolished, so that only a few original buildings remain on the railings. Nevertheless, the site and the associated exhibition show very impressively and very emotionally what happened in Westerbork - German-language tours included on request (see "Impressions and "Sources").