Two people from Drenthe have received a royal award. To their surprise, Jan van der Sleen from Nieuwlande and Philippus Hoogeveen from Smilde were appointed Member of the Order of Orange Nassau.
Van der Sleen was presented with the ribbon in the presence of family and acquaintances. They gathered at MFC De Opsteker in Nieuwlande, where Van der Sleen had been lured under the guise of ‘a meeting’ with the Historical Circle Hoogeveen, of which he is a member.
According to the municipality, Van der Sleen has played an important role for Nieuwlande for many years. Since the 1980s he has been active in collecting information about the history of this village, especially during the Second World War. Together with others he has published a book about this subject Nieuwlande, a village that remained silent. In addition, the book was also published The Village with 5 mayors issued.
Van der Sleen is still regularly active as a volunteer for the Hidden Museum and Nieuwlande. He is also a councilor for Municipal Interests in Hoogeveen.
66-year-old Philippus Andries Hoogeveen is the other lucky person who can now live as a Member of the Order of Orange Nassau. He received the award during the New Year’s reception of the gymnastics club in Smilde.
According to the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, Hoogeveen is ‘someone who has worked for the benefit of society or encouraged others for a long time’. De Smildeger is the center of several regional and local gymnastics associations. He also manages a cemetery in Hoogersmilde.