Former labour camp Vledder - Vledder

Werkkamp Vledder was also set up in 1938 by the Rijksdienst voor de Werkverruiming to employ unemployed men as part of labour supply projects. Unemployed men from the Randstad worked on building infrastructure and clearing the Vledderse and Doldersum moors. In addition, they were sometimes employed for seasonal work with local farmers, such as harvesting potatoes in the Vledder and Wapse area.

As with the other labour camps in Drenthe, Camp Vledder was evacuated in 1941 and Jewish forced labourers were housed in the camp in January 1942. They reported themselves to Camp Vledder after an appeal by the Jewish Council, as they had become unemployed due to anti-Jewish measures. Administration at the camp was taken over by the German occupiers and the State Police, but supervision continued to be carried out by the Nederlandsche Heidemaatschappij. Conditions in the camp deteriorated by the week. Work was hard, surveillance strict and food was scarce. Jewish dietary laws were completely disregarded.

During the Jewish roundup on the night of 2 and 3 October 1942, the work camps in Vledder, like those in the rest of the country, were again evacuated. All Jewish men were transferred to transit camp Westerbork, where they mostly found their relatives again, who had been taken from their beds that same night. The night of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was not chosen by accident. The Jewish holiday meant that many Jewish families were at home and together. This made the raid effective.

The empty camp became a camp for conscripted Dutch boys. As the Dutch army was disbanded at that time and they were not expected to fight with the German occupiers, they were given substitute service in the labour camps of the Nederlandsche Arbeidsdienst. This service was under German authority and its implementation was again carried out by the Nederlandsche Heidemaatschappij. The work was similar although the Dutch conscripts were treated better than their Jewish predecessors. This did not prevent a group of young men from fleeing from the camp and going into hiding in the area. This did not end well for all the boys. You will discover their story at the monument in Doldersum, where these boys are commemorated.

After the war, camp Vledder became an internment camp for NSB members and other collaborators. Still later, the camp housed conscientious objectors who received substitute unarmed service. It also served as a boarding school for a while. In 1980, the camp was largely dismantled. One of the barracks was preserved and is now a peekaboo museum. You can peek inside free of charge and get an impression of what happened here. In front of the barracks is a large boulder, with a plaque, in memory of the 180 Jewish men who had to live here for a period, under harsh conditions.