Veenstra’s wife Marga Kool is responsible for part of the narration. She also wrote poems for the piece. Kool is impressed by the barracks where the narration is held. “Absolutely. I had never been in here before. When I entered, a tear came to my eye. I think it’s quite drastic at the moment.”
This is not least because of the replicas of beds from Westerbork, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. These have previously been recreated for the filming of Anne Frank’s diary, among other things. The barrack from Kamp Linde was used as a backdrop.
The fact that the barrack is located in Zuidwolde and is given a second life here is mainly thanks to Henk Dekker and Theo Boer. The two are interested in the war history of Zuidwolde and the surrounding area. A construction company approached the duo with the message that they had a barrack on their site, which had to make way for new construction. “Then we decided to move the barracks here.”
The barracks will eventually have to be restored, but in the meantime it will serve as a backdrop for, among other things, this afternoon’s historical narration. “The intention is to create a modest war center here,” says Dekker. “We also want to have a pedestal with a large radar in this area, with information boards about the past. Everything in one place, so to speak.”
The duo is in talks with Alfa College and Terra College to get things started. “We’ve been working on that for a few years now,” says Boer. “Corona has caused delays.”
But Boer is clear: “This region has a considerable war history. We want to keep those stories alive.”