Home for unmarried civil servants - Radio Kootwijk

When one hundred and fifty unemployed people from Amsterdam were brought to the Veluwe in 1918 to prepare the site, they were accommodated in wooden barracks. When the Amsterdamers left again, the barracks were demolished and the wood reused elsewhere on the site to construct the other buildings.

In the years that followed, houses were built in close proximity to the transmitting station, for the PTT workers and their families. The workers, in case of breakdowns, had to be accessible day and night, so it was important that they did not live too far from the transmitting station. No housing was available for the single men; they were housed in the home for unmarried civil servants in Building H.

This is how the hamlet Radio Kootwijk was created, which falls under the municipality of Apeldoorn. In its heyday, some 200 people lived there divided between 24 simple service houses, a number of engineers' houses and the home. It became a close-knit community and the PTT took good care of its staff. For instance, the children were taken by bus to school in Apeldoorn every day, and the wives were allowed to go to the fabric market in Apeldoorn on Mondays, using just such a bus.

After housing also became available for the unmarried officials, the home became a hotel for both officials and tourists. In 2006, Building H was severely damaged by fire. It has been empty for years. There are regular applicants to buy it and refurbish it. They have plans to turn it into a hotel or convalescent home. But because it is in a Natura 2000 area, the chances of that happening are slim.