Location
97 to 128 of 397 results
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Campsite Tjaerda State
Campsite Tjaerda State
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Eleven Cities Monument Tegeltjesbrug Gytsjerk
Eleven Cities Monument Tegeltjesbrug Gytsjerk
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Schreiershoek Treehouse
Schreiershoek Treehouse
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Veenkloosterbos Forest on Fogelsangh State Country Estate
Veenkloosterbos Forest on Fogelsangh State Country Estate
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It Wikelslân Nature Reserve at De Alde Feanen National Park
It Wikelslân Nature Reserve at De Alde Feanen National Park
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De Groote Wielen
De Groote Wielen
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Elfstedentocht Turning Point - Dokkum
Elfstedentocht Turning Point - Dokkum
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Dobben Hurdegarypsterwarren Nature Reserve
Dobben Hurdegarypsterwarren Nature Reserve
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De Klinze Country House and Estate
De Klinze Country House and Estate
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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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St. Anthony's Church Paesens
St. Anthony's Church Paesens
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Age Veldboom Sailing Activities
Age Veldboom Sailing Activities
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TOP Feanwâlden
TOP Feanwâlden
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Wânswert (Wanswerd)
Wânswert (Wanswerd)
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St Boniface Chapel
St Boniface Chapel
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Doarpstsjerke Jistrum
Doarpstsjerke Jistrum
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Reformed Church (Hofkerk)
Reformed Church (Hofkerk)
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WadExpeditions
WadExpeditions
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National Park 'De Alde Feanen'
National Park 'De Alde Feanen'
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Skûtsjemuseum Earnewâld
Skûtsjemuseum Earnewâld
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Us Eigen Honk
Us Eigen Honk
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Stania State Country House and Estate
Stania State Country House and Estate
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Church of Ryptsjerk
Church of Ryptsjerk
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Ee (Ie)
Ee (Ie)
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Koopmansbosje
Koopmansbosje
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The Eleven Cities skater
The Eleven Cities skater
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Waddensea fishtours and Workshops 't Ailand
Waddensea fishtours and Workshops 't Ailand
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Kafee It wapen fân Fryslân
Kafee It wapen fân Fryslân
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Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Workum
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Workum
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Former Courthouse
Former Courthouse
This building, now used as a shop, recalls the time when justice was administered in Kollum. It was purchased by the municipality in 1609 and has served a variety of purposes ever since. The Old Courthouse (Oude Rechthuis) played an important role during the Kollum Uprising of 1797.
The building was bought by the municipality of Kollumerland in 1609 and converted into a courthouse. It can be recognised by the statue of Lady Justice, which still watches over the street from the façade. The Rechthuis is the oldest stone building in Kollum.
Kollum was given its own courthouse because the distance between Groningen and Leeuwarden was too great to travel in a single day. The ground floor was used as an inn and even included stables for horses and cattle. To this day, the space has continued to serve a variety of purposes.
The Rechthuis played a significant role during the Kollum Uprising of 1797. In February of that year, the arrest of the Orangist supporter Abele Reitzes sparked an uprising in which a crowd stormed the courthouse in an attempt to free him. The revolt resulted in extensive damage and was harshly suppressed, with 168 people being arrested. You can learn more about these events at the statue of Jan Binnes further along this route. The prison cell in the building's basement has been preserved. From the bridge, you can still clearly see the small barred window of the former jail cell.
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Pilgrim-Hikers cabin
Pilgrim-Hikers cabin
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De Roskam
De Roskam
There was a time when Kollum boasted no fewer than sixteen establishments, ranging from pubs and cafés to inns and lodging houses. De Roskam has always been one of them.
Those who remember Kollum in the last century may still picture the signboard of landlord Bonne Hof: a stout little man in swimming trunks with bright red cheeks. According to local tradition, Bonne Hof gathered the sweet flag plants used in his own homemade Kalmus Berenburg from the nearby Alde Swimmer. During the 1950s, Kollum Berenburg was a popular local drink. Another story concerns his father, Sietse Jan, whose croquettes were said to be so delicious that people travelled all the way from Groningen and Leeuwarden to taste them.
Many more colourful stories surround De Roskam. During a German raid in the Second World War, the notary Wassenberg is said to have hidden in the attic, only to crash through the ceiling while still sitting on his chair. Another tale dates from 1952, when the chauffeur of the King's Commissioner, Linthorst Homan, misplaced his cap after spending the night at De Roskam. At first, it was considered a major scandal, and the cap was thought to have been stolen. The commissioner left Kollum in great anger. In the end, however, the cap was simply found and carefully returned by courier by the people of Kollum.
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