WWII prison named as national monument

The Waalsdorpervlakte and the so-called Oranjehotel, as the Scheveningen prison was called during the German occupation, were named a national monument on Saturday. The announcement was made by Minister of Education Ingrid van Engelshoven during the 76th annual commemoration of the Oranjehotel.

“There are few places in our country that evoke such strong memories of tyranny and resistance as here among these stones and in the dunes beyond”, Van Engelshoven said.

Between 1940 and 1945, around 25 thousand people were imprisoned at the Oranjehotel. The name was given to the prison due to the many resistance fighters that were held hostage there.

At the Waalsdorpervlakte close to the Oranjehotel, 250 political prisoners were executed during the Second World War.

“It is important that we also tell the younger generation the story of what happened in the Oranjehotel and on the Waalsdorpervlakte”, Van Engelshoven said.

National monuments are eligible for various subsidies that contribute to the preservation of the monuments. Renovation or modification to the buildings requires a permit from the mayor and aldermen.