Obersalzberg – Berghof villa of Adolf Hitler
Back from vacation. A wish to go there one day has come true. The Obersalzberg. The mountain where Adolf Hitler and other Nazi celebrities had their home. Apart from being a beautiful part of Germany, it also has a dark history. In the late 1930s, Adolf Hitler settled in a house on the Obersalzberg and expanded the house into the Berghof.
In the 1950s, the Americans blew up the tangible memories, now there is little or nothing to recognize. Only for those who are interested in this piece of history, they are special places to go. Following the road up from Berchtesgaden is a challenge anyway given the 24% rise you have to bridge. Given the cloudy day and the hassle of going to the Kehlstein house (Eagle’s Nest), we turned towards the place where Hitler’s Villa once stood.
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Limburg – Leudal
Enjoyed nature this weekend in North Limburg. Some spots on the eye, but I didn’t get around to it in the end. But it does surprise you that there is always an impact somewhere of what happened in World War II. Also in the Leudal, a deserted but beautiful place, there are various visible places with a story.
Located along the road from Rogel to Haelen (near Roermond) is a water mill near a bridge over the Leubeek.
In 1944 the resistance had ammunition stored in the watermill. Eventually this was betrayed to the Germans and the watermill was blown up. At the end of 1944, the Germans withdrew from the southern Netherlands. They were tasked with blowing up what could be of use to the Allies such as bridges, windmills and church towers. This also applies to the bridge at the watermill over the Leubeek. On November 15, 1944, the bridge and with it the water mill were blown up with a heavy load. A ruin remained.
On November 21, 2014, there was a renovation in which the watermill became a small hydroelectric power station.
Read moreSoest during Second World War (WWII)
Because I live in Soest I was curious about stories and visible memories concerning the Second World War. Therefore ‘What could I find about Soest during WWII’? The main source for this is of course the internet. But in my search I also went to Museum Soest where a small part of the exhibition is specifically about this period. And it turns out that some important events have already received attention on the internet so I will refer to them. This page gives an impression of what a small village and its inhabitants experienced during the war and what visible memories still can be found.
The newspaper ‘Soester Courant‘ is an important source as it was published just after the war and chronologically describes the events (on page 4) in Soest in the period 1940 – 1945.
Huis Doorn – The last residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
In 1918 the First World War ended with the signing of the armistice in Compiègne, but Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany, also resigned and applied for asylum in the neutral Netherlands. First in Amerongen and then quietly as a ‘normal citizen’ in the Huis Doorn estate. Although at his death there was a desire not to have a Nazi funeral, Hitler made it a registered event with a guard of honor, military band and representatives of the Nazi party.
The ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II died in Huis Doorn on 4 June 1941. Because of the resistance that was still experienced in parts of Germany around the Emperor, Hilter decided that the funeral should be a modest ceremony with a considerable military delegation.
Since the mausoleum, then planned to the north of the main house, still had to be built, the body of the emperor would be temporarily laid to rest in the small chapel near the entrance to the estate.
Monday, April 9, 1941: On the picture on the right Count von Moltke (left) and Count von der Goltz (right) present the Field Marshal’s Staff and the Emperor’s decorations while Father Doehring leads in prayer from the chapel.
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