Location
129 to 160 of 398 results
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To B or not to B
To B or not to B
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Dijktempel (dike temple) at Marrum
Dijktempel (dike temple) at Marrum
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TOP Harkema
TOP Harkema
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Swimming Pool De Sawn Doarpen
Swimming Pool De Sawn Doarpen
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Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Franeker
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Franeker
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Bootverhuur Bonkevaart
Bootverhuur Bonkevaart
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St. Nicholas Church Eastrum (Oostrum)
St. Nicholas Church Eastrum (Oostrum)
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Natuurlijk Kollumeroord Groepsaccommodatie De Vlinderbalg
Natuurlijk Kollumeroord Groepsaccommodatie De Vlinderbalg
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Pettebosk Forest Playground
Pettebosk Forest Playground
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St. Anthony's Church Surhuizum
St. Anthony's Church Surhuizum
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B&B Hippe Schuur
B&B Hippe Schuur
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The liberation of Friesland
The liberation of Friesland
By 18 April, the whole province of Friesland had been liberated, except for the Wadden Islands. Compared to other provinces, there was little fighting in Friesland. Overall, the few thousand German troops who had been unable to escape from Friesland were defeated by the Canadians relatively quickly.
The commander of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Landell, praised the actions of the resistance by stating that "Friesland liberated herself". While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the actions of the Frisian resistance undoubtedly accelerated the liberation. And reduced the number of casualties on the Allied side.
At least 31 resistance fighters lost their lives in confrontations with German troops and their Dutch accomplices. At least eleven Canadians and one Frenchman were killed on the Allied side. Dozens of civilian victims were also killed in the fighting and shelling. The number of casualties on the German side is not known, but it is believed that the number ran into hundreds. With 320 destroyed and 4000 damaged homes and 80 destroyed bridges, Friesland was materially the least damaged province of the Netherlands.
Many German soldiers fled towards the western part of the country. The retreating German troops gathered mostly in Harlingen, Makkum and Lemmer. From there, they tried to get away by boat across the IJsselmeer or via the Afsluitdijk to North Holland. The Wadden Islands also became a refuge for collaborators and German soldiers. Here, liberation was longer in coming.
On the island of Terschelling, the last German troops were disarmed by a British artillery regiment on 29 May. Two days later, the British crossed from Terschelling to Vlieland, and the liberation of that island was also a fact. Ameland was liberated on 3 June.
Personnel from the infamous Scholtenhuis, the SD headquarters in Groningen, had entrenched themselves on Schiermonnikoog. After their departure on 31 May, there was a celebration on the island, in spite of the six hundred members of the occupying troops who still were there. Only on 11 June did the last German soldiers leave Schiermonnikoog, and then the whole province of Friesland was free.
Most Canadian units that had liberated Friesland continued the battle in Groningen and North Germany after 18 April. Their war ended on 8 May 1945, when the surrender of all German armed forces became effective.
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Former Post Office Kollum
Former Post Office Kollum
Although this building is now home to a business, it is well worth taking a look inside this former post office.
Those who look closely can still spot the remains of the old post office within the current premises. The original wooden service counters have been preserved, while the bright red PTT letterbox outside is a reminder of days gone by.
Today it is hard to imagine, but for centuries the postal service was one of the most important means of communication. This main post office was built in 1888 for that purpose. It is one of the few post offices constructed after 1883 that was not designed by the Government Architect for the Northern Netherlands, C. H. Peters, but most likely by the municipal architect H. A. Zondag. The municipality leased the building to the national government. The post office occupied the ground floor, while the postmaster lived upstairs. Following a renovation in 1908, the telegraph and telephone services were also housed here. The post office remained in use until the end of 1972.
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Sytzama House
Sytzama House
What is now a grand café has a history closely connected with local government, the Second World War, and Baron Willem van Sytzama, the building's first owner, after whom it is named.
In Van Sytzama's time, there were very few buildings nearby. Instead, a large landscaped garden with extensive ponds stretched out behind the house. Baron Willem van Sytzama believed he was happily married to Cecilia van Heemskerk, but she left him for another man. Although the baron took legal action in an attempt to prevent the separation, he was unsuccessful. She never returned, and he never remarried. In later years, however, the building served as Kollum's town hall, where hundreds of marriages were celebrated.
During the Second World War, Mayor Gerben Feitsma was sworn into office in this building. The ceremony took place with prominent displays of flags and the Nazi salute. For that reason, Feitsma is often described as an NSB (Dutch National Socialist Movement) mayor. At the same time, there is evidence that he occasionally helped prevent residents of Kollum from being sent to Germany for forced labour by employing them on his farm. Because of his wartime record, his name is not always included in historical accounts.
His brother, Jan Feitsma, became notorious for a different reason. As Prosecutor General, he ordered signs reading "Jews Forbidden" to be displayed throughout the occupied Netherlands. The policy caused considerable controversy in Kollum during the war. The local tennis club preferred to close its courts rather than display such a sign. In early 1945, Jan Feitsma was shot dead by members of the Dutch Resistance. His funeral in Kollum was attended by numerous members of the SS.
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Alde Feanen Rentals
Alde Feanen Rentals
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Bed and Breakfast Unia Zathe
Bed and Breakfast Unia Zathe
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Café-Restaurant ’t Raedhûs
Café-Restaurant ’t Raedhûs
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EAstay apartment 1
EAstay apartment 1
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Camperpark 'It Tún-Hûs'
Camperpark 'It Tún-Hûs'
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Gasthuis Dokkum
Gasthuis Dokkum
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Het Raadsel van de Wadden
Het Raadsel van de Wadden
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Opeindervaart Canal
Opeindervaart Canal
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Mill de Swarte Prinsch
Mill de Swarte Prinsch
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Timpelsteed
Timpelsteed
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Paesens-Moddergat
Paesens-Moddergat
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Wierum (Wierum)
Wierum (Wierum)
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Bungalowpark It Wiid
Bungalowpark It Wiid
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TOP Earnewâld
TOP Earnewâld
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Botmas
Botmas
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The liberation of Leeuwarden
The liberation of Leeuwarden
On 11 April 1945, it became clear that German resistance in the north of the Netherlands was limited. On 12 April, the Allies seized this opportunity to advance on Friesland as quickly as possible. One of the main goals was to liberate Leeuwarden. The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was designated for this purpose. But things would turn out differently.
On 12 April, the Royal Canadian Dragoons entered Friesland at Noordwolde. They were to conduct reconnaissance with their armoured vehicles and reach the Wadden Sea as quickly as possible. As a result, the German troops in Friesland and Groningen would be separated.
On the night of 14 to 15 April, three Squadrons of the Dragoons were at Suameer. Burgum could not be reached earlier that day, because the bridge at Burgummerdam had been blown up by the Germans.
Meanwhile, all sorts of things were happening in nearby Leeuwarden. On 12 April, the airfield had been blown up by the Germans. And they left the city on 14 April. Leeuwarden would not be defended. The Burgerweeshuis (Civil Orphanage) that had housed several German agencies was set on fire. An attempt to blow up the telephone exchange failed due to an ingenious intervention by the resistance. In the early morning of 15 April, the resistance also took to the streets en masse to occupy important points and to capture Germans who had remained behind.
The Dragoons in Suameer were in contact with the resistance in Leeuwarden. Due to various reports, it was unclear whether there was now heavy fighting in Leeuwarden or whether the Germans had left the city completely. Because the Germans had blown up important bridges on the route from Heerenveen to Leeuwarden, the infantry could not quickly provide assistance.
So, the Dragoons went to take a look for themselves. Initially, a patrol of four vehicles was sent via the Groningerstraatweg into the city around half past eleven. One of the Canadians in those vehicles recorded the following:
"As we entered the city, passing through the concrete barrier by the narrow passageway left for normal traffic, we were met by an almost hysterical patrol of Resistance men [...] In a few moments the news of our arrival had spread through the city, and we were given a fantastic welcome as we rolled slowly forward into the centre of town."A resident of Leeuwarden recalled:
"We lived close to the Groningerstraatweg, where our liberators passed. Many hundreds of us stood there, all happy spectators. All of a sudden, two ladies from the row flung themselves forward and threw their arms around the Canadians' necks, saying: "Oh darlings, you’re here at last!"After the patrol determined that the coast was clear, the entire C Squadron, a detachment of the Royal Canadian Engineers and Regimental Headquarters of Lieutenant-Colonel Landell followed. Leeuwarden had been liberated. After this, thousands took to the streets. One of the Canadians wrote:
"We halted, and were immediately surrounded by laughing, yelling mobs of people, bringing flowers to give to us, and cheering every move. The Resistance men were everywhere, doing their best to keep the people within bounds and off the cars, but their efforts were hardly necessary. I never saw a more satisfying gathering in my life."Leeuwarden had been liberated by the Dragoons through unexpected circumstances. On the night of 15 to 16 April, Canadian infantry moved into the city.
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Terp fan de Takomst
Terp fan de Takomst
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Stadscafé Artisante (City Café)
Stadscafé Artisante (City Café)
