Cycle route War Years in the Noorder Dierenpark
Emmen, Zuidbarge, Odoorn
Just before the war, in 1935, Willem Oosting founded the Noorder Dierenpark. After the war began, the situation became increasingly difficult. Willem is ordered to put up a sign saying ‘Forbidden for Jews’, but makes sure it disappears several times. Halfway through the war, a resident of Emmen knocks on the door of the animal park, looking for a way to escape employment in Germany. He disguises himself as an animal caretaker and works at the park during the day, while at night he sleeps above the lions‘ and elephants’ pens. Over time, more hiders find their way to the park, and eventually 18 people sleep in this secret place during the war. Despite a raid by the Germans, they all survive. It was not only in the animal park that people found hiding places. Many Jews were in hiding in the surroundings of Emmen. So you cycle through the Valtherbos, where people in hiding lived in a self-built hiding place for two years. When hiding in Bertus Zefat's chicken shed became too dangerous, they fled into the forest and dug a hiding place. When this hole was discovered, the hiders managed to escape without a trace, just before the occupying forces arrived. They built a new den about 400 metres away, where they stayed until the liberation on 11 April 1945. A total of 16 people went into hiding here, and they all survived. Unfortunately, resistance fighters Bertus Zefat and Jan Hendriks were killed by the occupying forces because they refused to give information about the hiding den.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Odoornerweg 1, 7846 TA Coevorden | 43.6 KM | |
|
From
13
to
74
|
1786 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head west on Dorpsstraat | 368 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 70 M | ||
| Turn left onto Middelesweg | 25 M | ||
| Continue onto Zweeloërstraat | 581 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wolfgarensweg | 6 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zweeloërstraat | 736 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
7
|
544 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head west on Zweeloërstraat | 544 M | ||
| You are now at section 07 | 0 M | ||
|
From
7
to
33
|
1548 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head north | 6 M | ||
| Continue straight | 626 M | ||
| Continue straight | 916 M | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
34
|
3856 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head northeast | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Slenerweg | 12 M | ||
| Turn right | 19 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 2.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Veenweg | 327 M | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
35
|
949 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head east on 't Haantje | 949 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
37
|
3858 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on 't Haantje | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Slenerweg | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Melkweg | 385 M | ||
| Turn right | 9 M | ||
| Continue onto Langeveldstraat | 514 M | ||
| Continue straight | 725 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
39
|
1774 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Burgemeester J van Roijenpad | 1.2 KM | ||
| Continue onto Brinkweg | 586 M | ||
| You are now at section 39 | 0 M | ||
|
From
39
to
76
|
3927 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Schoolstraat | 174 M | ||
| Keep right onto Schoolstraat | 13 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Weerdingerzandweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Meerbosweg | 321 M | ||
| Turn left onto Schapendrift | 517 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Schapendrift | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Duurkampenweg | 177 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
|
From
76
to
40
|
535 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southeast | 75 M | ||
| Continue straight | 148 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dorpsstraat | 312 M | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
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From
40
to
55
|
3932 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head southeast | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto IJsspoorweg | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto IJsspoorweg | 543 M | ||
| Turn right onto Achterlaan | 474 M | ||
| Turn left onto Emmerhoutstraat | 973 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Roswinkelerweg | 630 M | ||
| Turn left onto Parochieweg | 989 M | ||
| Turn right onto Randweg | 306 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
|
From
55
to
51
|
4164 M | 4.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Randweg | 11 M | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| Turn left | 643 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Schanswal | 29 M | ||
| Turn left onto Schansstraat | 2.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Markeweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M | ||
|
From
51
to
50
|
1486 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head east on Oude Markeweg | 34 M | ||
| Turn right onto Tweede Groenedijk | 1.4 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 19 M | ||
| Turn right | 30 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
52
|
2827 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head west | 402 M | ||
| Turn right | 8 M | ||
| Turn left onto Splitting | 930 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Splitting | 852 M | ||
| Turn left onto Meerdijk | 540 M | ||
| Turn left | 95 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
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From
52
to
21
|
4242 M | 4.2 KM | |
| Head west on Oude Meerdijk | 48 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Meerdijk | 8 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Oude Meerdijk | 107 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Oude Meerdijk | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Oude Meerdijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 21 M | ||
| Turn right | 72 M | ||
| Turn right | 4 M | ||
| Turn left | 57 M | ||
| Continue onto Angelsloërdijk | 196 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Angelsloërdijk | 30 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Angelsloërdijk | 163 M | ||
| Turn right | 7 M | ||
| Turn left | 136 M | ||
| Continue onto Diederingswal | 49 M | ||
| Continue onto Angelsloërdijk | 600 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zuiderstraat | 176 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Sterrenkamp | 288 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoofdstraat | 26 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hoofdstraat | 441 M | ||
| Turn right onto Minister Kanstraat | 165 M | ||
| Turn right onto Minister Kanstraat | 178 M | ||
| Turn left onto Spoorstraat | 181 M | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| Turn left | 12 M | ||
| Turn right onto Stationsplein | 54 M | ||
| You are now at section 21 | 0 M | ||
|
From
21
to
16
|
2710 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Stationsstraat | 8 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Stationsstraat | 320 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hoofdstraat | 87 M | ||
| Continue straight | 54 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Turn left onto Weerdingerstraat | 28 M | ||
| Continue straight | 36 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Weerdingerstraat | 74 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 120 M | ||
| Turn left | 54 M | ||
| Turn left | 279 M | ||
| Turn right | 88 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westenesscherstraat | 863 M | ||
| Turn left onto Heirweg | 224 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 415 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Heirweg | 37 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
19
|
623 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northwest | 582 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 41 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
|
From
19
to
15
|
1790 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head west on Slenerweg | 177 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Slenerweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M | ||
|
From
15
to
14
|
2448 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Slenerweg | 330 M | ||
| Continue onto Emmerstraat | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
13
|
551 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head north on Emmerstraat | 384 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dorpsstraat | 167 M | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M |