Westerbork

[gerbie]

Last week we were in Drenthe, one of the northern provinces of my country. We came through Westerbork and had to visit the World War 2 concentration camp. It is the most famous one in the Netherlands, the biggest one as well. 102.000 jews were taken here before continuing their journey to Auschwitz, Theresin or other camps, to be killed there. Anne Frank was one of the temporary inhabitants of Westerbork. Nowadays there is a museum and the former camp can be visited as well.

The picture is from the national monument there. The end of the rail track. Symbolic, every tuesday about one 1000 were selected and send onwards. Every week you knew your life could be about to end. In the meantime life had to continue, including school, sports and theatre.

After Sachsenhausen en Theresin this was the third time I visited a concentration camp. And every single time it completely draws me in. I can't talk for a while. Tears are pushing to find a way. How can mankind sink so low that things like this happen. Still happen actually. How can some people know about the existence of concentration camps and still treat others the way they do? It is difficult to stay optimistic about mankind after a visit like this.


The camp has its own site: Westerbork (also in English and German)

Comments

[mycroftca.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, people in Denmark evacuated all their Jews to Sweden. People in the Netherlands and France and other places fought the Germans with whatever they could find. The Allies finished them off. Life is a battle between Good and Evil, and sometimes Evil shows off, and sometimes Good does.

But it is important to remember history, to try and avoid repeating it.

[caniche.livejournal.com]

You know, I can usually stand all sorts of movies without feeling creeped out, that was until I saw The Pianist.
I was about to turn the movie off cause the fact that things like that really did happen made me feel very restless. I can't describe it...

I really can't imagine visiting a concentration camp...

[msbluejayway.livejournal.com]

I'm going to Westerbork in July, together with the children in my class. It's part of their school trip. My feelings are sort of mixed. At one hand, I'm looking forward to it, because I'm very much into history. At the other hand, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it very well. I can't even watch most second world war movies, because I get so depressed. I'm afraid I might get far too emotional, especially with the kids there.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Westerbork is a good place to visit, certainly on a school trip. It does depend on the kids though. I visited Teresin/Theresienstadt as part of a school trip as well, it didn't hit me as hard as I thought, I was too busy organising and keeping the group together.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

I'd say you should try one day. It is part of human history. And even fairly close for you now. Take a day. Don't plan anything 'nice' afterwards and just take your time while you're there.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

I know even then a lot of people did good things. But it took the Dutch years before they realised how bad things were and even then most of them didn't dare taking any risks to help others.

[mycroftca.livejournal.com]

I think that you are downplaying the resistance movement in the Netherlands, though German armed forces recruiters did manage to put together some units of Dutch soldiers in their armies during the war. I can't recall where they fought (the Russian Front? the Western Front?).

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I am not downplaying anything. It has been exaggerated for decades, the last decades the reality was revealed. Not everyone who claimed to have played a role in the resistance actually did so. A huge majority didn't do anything but survive. Understandable. Logical. But nothing to brag about.

Some Dutch went to the Eastern front I have read, I'm not sure if any were on the Western front as well.

[enfantdenuit.livejournal.com]

I can't really imagine what it would be like in a war. I know though, that it's hard. Everyone wants to stay alive. Helping jewish people was dangerous. You really have to think about what you're doing. I don't know if I would dare to take someone in, I would be scared... I don't think people can judge something they haven't been in themselves really..,

[enfantdenuit.livejournal.com]

Though the Germans and people who helped them were SO BAD.

(even that doesn't mean everyone was like that. its so complicated :/)

[enfantdenuit.livejournal.com]

I still want to do it. Go there. But not with my parents if I can help it. If I hadn't moved to Ausralia last year I would've been there too, on a school trip.

At school i'm doing the 2nd world war now. I was really looking forward to it- its so interesting. But it has a big focus on the Australian role in in, what really annoys me. Sure, they did something. They did declare war on Italy and Germany. But the main focus should be on where it happened. Europe. Germany. Countries near there.

They have that problem a lot in Australia. They're way too nationalistic (is that even a word?)

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

Don't underestimate the role of the Anzac forces. Especially in World War 1 they played an important part in the Allied corpses, they repeated that feat in the second World War.

Yes, they are Nationalistic (even chauvinistic), but that seems inevitable. Compare it to the USA, also very nationalistic. Countries that don't exist very long have that tendency. Most European countries have so much history, they know they will survive regardless, even be it under foreign rule. Compare it with our native country. It has been Spanish, French, German, semi-independent and completely independent during the last few hundred years. Oz only exists 106 years. They have to make for that.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

You've given a reply to your own statement previously. One has to suffer the situation to be able to judge how one would react.