Amsterdam in World War Two Cycle Tour

Our bike tour starts at Victorieplein (Victory Square was then called Daniël Willinkplein). On June 20, 1943, a major raid took place in Amsterdam. At the foot of the Skyscraper, large groups of Jewish citizens were arrested during a so-called Judenaktion. Assisted by Dutch police units (PBA, Police Battalion Amsterdan) and police volunteers (from the Dutch National Socialist Movement - the NSB), the Nazis transported the Jews to Olympiaplein, among other places, for registration purposes and then to the Westerbork concentration camp in the east of the Netherlands.

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Merwedeplein

Merwedeplein 37-II (3rd floorby American counting) was the home of the Frank family. In the summer of 1942, Otto Frank took his family and some acquaintances to “Het Achterhuis” (the Secret Annex) on the Prinsengracht, where Otto Frank's company was located. A statue commemorates Anne Frank on Merwedeplein. Around the corner from the Waalstraat bookstore, Jimmink (still active) sold the first edition of “Het Achterhuis” (Contact publishers), the first edition of Anne Frank's diary was published in 1947. It was at this bookshop that Otto Frank bought the diary for his daughter.

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At Waalstraat 48, opposite Merwedeplein, (now Café Blek) was once the Tilex Bar (Tilly and Lex - van Weren). Lex van Weren survived Auschwitz because he had to play his trumpet at executions.

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Cornelis Troostplein 23. Once accommodated the PBA-baracks, before WWII it was called “peace parish” ( the Catholic complex held two convents and a school). Spring 1942 the chief of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) /Gestapo Rauter inspected the PBA and met Reichsführer - SS Heinrich Himmler at Museumplein.

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The Germans transformed the Museumplein during the war into a stronghold. When facing the concert hall, the houses on your left were occupied by German offices. E.g. the United States consulate building once housed the Zentralstelle für Jüdische Auswanderung ( Central Jewish ‘Emigration’ office) Next door you could find the Ortskommandantur (Town Major) and the Feldgendarmerie (Military Police) building. The other buildings housed nazi party offices and other German services. On the square in front of these buildings was the IJsclubterrein ( Amsterdam skating club). Here the Germans build their stronghold with bunkers an anti-aircraft (Flak~) batteries. Next to the concert hallyou found the NSB HQ Amsterdam. After WWII all bunkers were blown up.

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Cafe Wildschut, we’ll have a short stop for coffee and a restroom visit.

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There was a photo shop next to the library building on Roelof Hartstraat. During the war, the Dutch resistance used the store and developed unique photos (e.g. Charles Breijer) of the first roundup of Jews in Amsterdam by the SD/Gestapo and the German (order) police.

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You’ll find a small monument remembering Jews taken from this neighborhood.

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Beethovenstraat

Corner Beethovenstraat / Apollolaan. At the end of October 1944, approx. in front of no: 6. (and note: most of the house numbers are still the same as during WWII), Herbert Oelschlägel SS officer and Sicherheitsdienst /Gestapo agent was executed by a Dutch resistance member. In retaliation the Sicherheitsdienst / Gestapo burned down two houses and executed 29 resistance fighters.

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At the time this street was called Euterpestraat. Gerrit van der Veen was the leader of an important Dutch resistance-group

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On the corner of Memlingstraat/Rubensstraat were two offices of the most important Nazi oppression organizations. SD-HQ Amsterdam (SD Aussenstelle under Willy Lages) and the Hausraterfassungsstelle (stealing the possesions of deported Jews) which was part of the Zentralstelle für Jüdische Auswanderung. The leader of the Hauserfassungsstelle was a Dutch collaborator named Henneicke. In November 1944, the resistance requested the Royal Air Force via a secret radio message to attack the headquarters of the SD/Gestapo and the Hausraterfassungsstelle. Destroying SD/Gestapo files was their main aim. This job was done by Group Captain Denys Gillam DSO, DFC, AFC leader of 149 (Typhoon) wing. There was a (resistance) safehouse on the corner of Rubensstraat/Gerrit van der Veenstraat. See Stolperstein (stumbling stone) for the address. In June 1944, this address was betrayed to the SD/Gestapo by a female informant (V-Frau).

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Olympiaplein/Parnassusweg. On this square, Jewish people arrested during the raid of June 1943 at the sports complex (see monument Parnassusweg) were registered by the SD/Gestapo with the help(!) of Jewish camp police sent from Westerbork concentration camp.

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Valeriusplein

Valeriusplein / Amsterdam Lyceum. This school building was the headquarters of the Luftwaffe at the end of the occupation.

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Statue of Queen Emma on Emmalaan/Prins Hendriklaan In the summer of 1940, people placed flowers at the statue, in defiance of the German occupiers. One of the resistance photographers, Charles Breijer (see 7.), took this photo of the guard at the headquarters of the Kriegsmarine in 1944.

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When the Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945, dangerous situations arose between frustrated German troops and resistance fighters. See the monument to the victims of one of the shootings on the last day. This was the last point of the tour. I will guide you through the Vondelpark to Leidseplein where we started.

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