Westerbork Celebrates 30 Years

The memorial center Camp Westerbork will celebrate its 30th year on Friday. The memorial center at the former transit camp of the Nazis was opened on April 12, 1983 by Queen Beatrix. During the war, 107,000 Jews and Gypsies were deported from Westerbork, but 102,000 did not return. In 1983, the expectation was that the center would attract more than 15,000 visitors. However, well above expectation, the counter registered 135,000 visitors in that first year. Among them were hundreds of schoolchildren from around the country. In recent years, the former transit camp sees about 300,000 visitors a year. On Friday the memorial center will organize a symposium with the central theme of how the Netherlands will commemorate the war and the Holocaust this year. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be lots of activities for visitors of Westerbork. The activities will be indoor and outdoor, including exhibitions, presentations of eyewitnesses, lectures, films and a biking and hiking trail on the camp grounds.