Construction

The Jewish community initially wasn’t passionate about ‘beautiful Drenthe’. It was noteworthy that they weren’t even consulted, even though they did have to pay. The Central Committee for Special Jewish Interests (Centraal Comité voor Bijzondere Joodsche Belangen), and the subsidiary Committee for Jewish Refugees (Comité voor Joodsche Vluchtelingen), decided to agree anyway. Amongst the group of Jewish refugees who wanted to travel to Palestine, there definitely was enthusiasm for this camp in the wilderness. This grew when promises were made about fresh, wooden barracks, equipped with central heating and excellent sanitary facilities. Additionally, there was mention of single-family houses as well.

The prospect of a newly built village with possibilities for agriculture, horticulture, livestock farming, and chicken farming, a smithy, shoemaking facility, and maintenance workshops made one suspect the best. Promises regarding a synagogue, school, and recreational facilities made the skepticism disappear even more. Above all, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would take charge. This would make live more pleasant than if the Ministry of Justice were in charge. In August 1939, labourers started to be employed for the construction of the barracks. On 9 October 1939, the first Jewish refugees arrived at Central Refugee Camp Westerbork (Centraal Vluchtelingenkamp Westerbork).

First residents

One of the first residents of the refugee camp near Westerbork was Werner Bloch. ‘The further we came, the more lonesome it became. At one point, all you could see was heathland. Bushes every now and then. And where the refugee camp would be erected, there was an enormous, wide plain where there was just heath and sand, which was very desolate.’

The first residents were put to work straightaway. The barracks were there, but a lot had to happen to the interior. Though it may have been fairly warm and dry inside, outside it was rough and muddy.

Because the central kitchen was everything but central, it was impossible to serve hot meals actually hot. These kinds of circumstances did not make camp life more pleasant. From camp farm De Schattenberg, new land was supposed to be quarried. Those who weren’t used to heavy work, felt in their backs, arms, and hands what it was like to dig up heathland with a shovel. Digging was necessary to start up a high-performing mixed business that would be able to feed the entire camp. But it didn’t look like that in the near future. The farm under construction wasn’t profitable by a long shot.

Due to the isolated location of the camp, residents were mostly dependent on each other. Initially, the camp was sparsely populated. On 9 October 1939, the first 22 refugees arrived. At the end of January 1940, there were 167. From February 1940, the number increased more rapidly: by the end of April, Westerbork housed 749 refugees already. Little had come from the promises of education and recreation. More and more, the residents experienced their accommodation as a concentration camp. A lot of unrest about whatever the Nazis were planning grew. With fearful eyes, they looked at the map of the Netherlands, and saw that Westerbork was not far from Germany.

May 1940

The Netherlands was barely prepared for the German attack that started on 10 May 1940. The speed and the material with which the Germans invaded our country overwhelmed the Dutch defences. On 14 May, Hitler ordered a bombardment on Rotterdam and subsequently threatened to do the same to Utrecht. Commander in Chief General Winkelman decided to surrender in the early morning of 15 May.

The Jewish refugees in Westerbork did not wait to await the developments. They feared what was waiting for them when the Nazis were in control. At their request, an evacuation plan had already been drawn up. If an invasion occurred, they would be brought to England through Zeeland. That, too, didn’t happen in the first days of war. The refugees departed from Hooghalen by train, but they didn’t get any further than Zwolle: the IJssel bridge was blown up. The alternative route via the Afsluitdijk ended in Leeuwarden, where the refugees were given shelter with families.

The Dutch authorities decided to house all Jewish refugees in Westerbork after the failed evacuation. The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice tried extra hard by tracking down all ‘lost’ evacuees and returning them to Central Refugee Camp Westerbork.