Westerbork (Drintsk: Börk) is a small village in the province of
Drinte, which has been part of the municipality of Midden-Drinte
since 1998. Before that it was an independent municipality.
Westerbork is also popularly spoken of when the former camp
Westerbork is meant. Camp Westerbork was used during the Second
World War to deport Jews, Roma and resistance fighters. However, the
camp is closer to Hooghalen than to Westerbork.
After the
Second World War, ex-KNIL soldiers were housed in the camp. The camp
was then renamed Schattenberg. At the end of the 70s, that camp was
demolished and a war memorial was erected near the location.
Partly on the grounds of the former camp there are fourteen radio
telescopes, which together form the Westerbork Synthesis Radio
Telescope. The telescopes are managed by ASTRON. The well-known
astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort played a major role in the creation of
these telescopes.
Westerbork has a football association with
more than 400 members. Vv VKW plays in the 2010/2011 season in the
3rd class B, on Sundays.
Westerbork is a small village located in the northeastern
Netherlands, within the province of Drenthe. It serves as a typical
example of the region's rural and sparsely populated landscape,
characterized by flat, open terrain interspersed with heathlands,
forests, and agricultural fields. The village itself is part of the
municipality of Midden-Drenthe and lies in the central portion of
Drenthe, a province known for its Pleistocene sandy soils and
glacial remnants from the Ice Age. This area is often described as
remote and undeveloped by Dutch standards, offering a contrast to
the more urbanized western parts of the country. Westerbork's
geography is influenced by its position on a sandy plateau, which
has shaped its historical development as an agricultural settlement.
The surrounding environment includes moorlands and nature reserves,
making it a quiet, low-lying area with minimal elevation changes.
Location and Coordinates
Geographically, Westerbork is
situated at coordinates 52°51′6″N 6°36′34″E (approximately
52.85167°N, 6.60944°E). It is positioned in the middle of Drenthe
province, which borders Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the
west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony
to the east. The village is about 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of
Assen, the provincial capital, and roughly 130 kilometers (81 miles)
northeast of Amsterdam. Nearby towns include Hooghalen to the north
(about 5 kilometers or 3 miles away), where the former Westerbork
transit camp site is located, and Beilen to the southwest. The
area's isolation is notable; it is far from major urban centers,
with Groningen approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) to the north
of Assen. This northeastern placement puts Westerbork near the
German-Dutch border, contributing to its historical role in refugee
movements and its current status as a site for radio astronomy due
to low light and radio pollution.
Terrain and Topography
The terrain around Westerbork is predominantly flat, typical of
Drenthe's landscape, which forms part of the Netherlands' northern
sandy uplands. The village developed as an esdorp—a medieval
settlement type built on slightly higher ground amid surrounding
lower-lying areas—to avoid flooding from peat bogs and moorlands.
Elevation in Westerbork averages about 17 meters (56 feet) above sea
level, with subtle variations across the province ranging from near
sea level in reclaimed areas to minor ridges up to 30-40 meters in
glacial moraines. The soil is mostly sandy, derived from glacial
deposits, which supports heathlands and coniferous forests rather
than intensive farming in some spots. Moorlands, or hoogveen (high
peat bogs), are common in the region, though much has been drained
for agriculture over centuries. The landscape is described as
inhospitable in historical accounts, with unpaved roads that turn to
mud in rain, emphasizing its rural and somewhat wild character.
Overall, Drenthe's topography lacks dramatic features like mountains
or deep valleys, instead featuring gentle undulations from ancient
ice sheets.
Climate
Westerbork experiences an oceanic
climate (Köppen classification Cfb), moderated by the North Sea but
with slightly more continental influences due to its inland location
in northeastern Netherlands. Average daily temperatures range from
around 2.4°C (36.3°F) in winter (December to February) to 17.1°C
(62.8°F) in summer (June to August). Annual precipitation averages
about 812 mm (32 inches), distributed fairly evenly throughout the
year, with slightly wetter conditions in autumn. The region receives
approximately 1,550 hours of sunshine annually, which is moderate
for the Netherlands. Winds are generally from the southwest, and fog
can be common in the moorlands during cooler months. Compared to
coastal areas, Drenthe has greater temperature extremes, with
occasional frosts in winter and warmer summers. Climate change
impacts, such as increased rainfall and heatwaves, are affecting the
province's peatlands and agriculture.
Natural Features and
Land Use
Drenthe's natural features dominate Westerbork's
surroundings, including extensive heathlands, forests, and national
parks. The province boasts three national parks: Drents-Friese Wold
(a mix of forests and dunes), Dwingelderveld (heathlands and
wetlands, classified as IUCN category II), and Drentsche Aa (a
stream valley landscape, IUCN category V). Westerbork itself is near
heath-covered moors and coniferous woodlands, with no major rivers
or lakes directly in the village—Drenthe as a whole lacks
significant water bodies, relying on small streams like the
Drentsche Aa. Notable prehistoric features include over 50 dolmens
(hunebedden), ancient megalithic tombs concentrated in northeastern
Drenthe, reflecting the area's glacial boulder clay deposits.
Land use in Westerbork covers 16.26 km² (6.28 square miles), with a
population density of about 289 people per km², indicating a blend
of residential, agricultural, and open spaces. Province-wide, 72% of
Drenthe's land (1,898 km²) is agricultural, supporting crops like
potatoes and livestock grazing on former communal pastures (essen).
Forests and nature reserves make up significant portions, promoting
biodiversity with species like deer, birds of prey, and rare plants
in the heathlands. The area's sandy soils limit intensive farming
but support forestry and recreation. Human modifications, such as
drainage canals, have transformed peat bogs into farmland, though
conservation efforts preserve remaining natural habitats.
Pre-War Establishment and Early Years (1938-1940)
The history of
Westerbork, a small village in the northeastern Netherlands' province of
Drenthe, is inextricably linked to the camp that bears its name. In the
late 1930s, as Nazi persecution intensified in Germany and Austria, the
Dutch government sought to accommodate Jewish refugees fleeing across
the border. In 1938, the Dutch Ministry of Justice decided to build a
centralized refugee camp to house these individuals, who had been
entering the country illegally since the Kristallnacht pogroms.
Construction began in the summer of 1939 near the village of Westerbork,
chosen for its remote, rural location about 15 km from the nearest town.
The camp, officially named Centraal Vluchtelingenkamp Westerbork, was
financed partly by Dutch Jewish organizations and designed to hold
around 1,000 people in 200 interconnected cottages, each equipped with
basic amenities like rooms, toilets, hot plates, and small yards. The
first refugees, mostly German and Austrian Jews, arrived on October 9,
1939. By April 1940, approximately 750 individuals were housed there,
including some passengers from the ill-fated MS St. Louis voyage who had
been denied entry elsewhere. Conditions under Dutch administration were
relatively humane: refugees managed internal affairs through a
self-administration system, with departments like healthcare, workshops,
and registration run by Jewish heads of service, many of whom were
German Jews. The camp included facilities for education, work, and basic
recreation, reflecting the Netherlands' initial humanitarian intent.
Transition Under German Occupation (1940-1942)
The German
invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, marked a turning point.
Although the camp initially remained under Dutch control, the regime
grew stricter under the new director, Jacques Schol, appointed on July
16, 1940. Accounts of Schol vary: some describe him as brutal, allegedly
kicking inmates to death, while others portray him as anti-German,
organizing the camp to delay full Nazi takeover and being seen as too
lenient by the occupiers. The original refugee purpose faded as borders
closed, but the camp continued to house existing inmates. In late 1941,
the Nazis decided to repurpose Westerbork as one of three key transit
camps in Western Europe (alongside Drancy in France and Mechelen in
Belgium) for assembling Jews for deportation eastward. Expansion began,
with new barracks added to increase capacity. By this time, the camp's
population included not only German and Austrian Jews but also Dutch
Jews rounded up under escalating antisemitic measures.
Wartime as
a Transit Camp (1942-1945)
On July 1, 1942, the Nazis fully assumed
control, renaming it Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Westerbork (later
Judendurchgangslager Westerbork) under the supervision of the Security
Police and SD. A barbed-wire fence, watchtowers, and stricter rules were
implemented, transforming it into a deceptive "model" transit camp. The
Germans installed three successive SS commandants: Erich Deppner
(July-September 1942), Josef Hugo Dischner (September-October 1942), and
Albert Konrad Gemmeker (October 1942-April 1945), who oversaw the camp's
operations with a small SS staff, Dutch civilian and military police
rotations, and an internal Jewish police force known as the Ordedienst
(OD), led by Kurt Schlesinger. The OD, numbering up to 1,800 at its
peak, handled order, labor, and assisted with deportations, often in
exchange for temporary exemptions.
Camp life was a paradoxical mix of
normalcy and terror, designed to lull inmates into compliance. A
permanent population of about 2,000— including camp employees, Jewish
council members, and those with temporary exemptions—engaged in
activities like metalwork, farming, healthcare, schools, orchestras,
hairdressers, restaurants, and even cultural programs such as cabarets
and sports. This facade, including a hospital and workshops, fostered
false hope and facilitated orderly deportations. However, most inmates
stayed only briefly, often days or weeks, before being selected for
transport. Deportations began on July 14, 1942, with the first train to
Auschwitz leaving the next day. From July 1942 to September 1944, over
90-99 transports departed, typically every Tuesday after 1943, carrying
more than 100,000 people (estimates vary between 97,776 and 107,000).
Transports used passenger or freight cars, with selections made by the
commandant based on Berlin's orders. Eyewitnesses like journalist Philip
Mechanicus described the chaos: families separated, brutality from
guards, and profound distress. Notable aspects include the 1944 filming
by inmate Rudolf Breslauer, commissioned by Gemmeker to document camp
"productivity," which survives as rare footage of deportations. The camp
also deported 245 Roma and Sinti in May 1944, most to Auschwitz.
Among the notable inmates were Anne Frank and her family, who arrived on
August 8, 1944, after their Amsterdam hiding place was betrayed, and
were deported to Auschwitz on September 3, 1944, in a transport of 1,019
people (the last to Auschwitz from Westerbork). Writer Etty Hillesum,
who documented camp life in her diaries, arrived in April 1942 and was
deported to Auschwitz on September 7, 1943, where she was killed. Others
included diarist Philip Slier, actress Dora Gerson, cabaret performer
Max Ehrlich, and child survivor Jona Oberski. The Fink family—refugees
from the St. Louis—lived there from 1939 until deported in 1944; only
Michael and his mother survived.
Liberation and Immediate
Aftermath (1945)
As Allied forces advanced, deportations halted in
September 1944. German staff fled in early April 1945, leaving behind
food and medical supplies. On April 12, 1945, the Canadian 2nd Infantry
Division (specifically the South Saskatchewan Regiment) liberated the
camp, finding 876 inmates in relatively good condition but amid a
"penitentiary-like" setting of barbed wire and towers. Soldiers
expressed outrage at the site's history. Of the over 100,000 deported,
only about 5,000 survived the war.
Post-War Uses (1945-1971)
After liberation, Westerbork served as an internment camp (1945-1949)
for Dutch nationals suspected of Nazi collaboration, housing thousands
under harsh conditions. From 1950 to 1971, renamed Kamp Schattenberg, it
accommodated repatriates from the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia),
including Moluccan soldiers from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
(KNIL) and their families, evacuated amid decolonization conflicts. Up
to 4,000 Moluccans lived there in deteriorating barracks, facing
integration challenges. The camp was gradually disassembled in the 1960s
and fully demolished by 1971. The site later became home to the
Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, with only the former commandant's
house preserved in glass.
Memorial and Legacy
In the post-war
decades, Westerbork's memory evolved amid debates over ownership and
remembrance. Initially overshadowed by a "resistance myth," public
interest grew in the 1960s-1980s, leading to the establishment of the
Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork (Remembrance Centre) in 1983, two
miles from the site. The National Westerbork Memorial, unveiled by Queen
Juliana on May 4, 1970, features a broken railroad track and 102,000
stones symbolizing the deported victims. In 2017, Breslauer's film
footage was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
Historiography includes Jacques Presser's 1965 book The Catastrophe,
detailing Dutch Jewry's fate and collaboration, and his novel The Night
of the Girondins set in the camp. Today, Westerbork stands as a poignant
reminder of occupation, persecution, migration, and multiculturalism in
European history.