Before and during the liberation of Leeuwarden, local resistance fighters deluded the German forces twice. The first moment was in December 1944, when the detention centre in Leeuwarden was raided by armed resistance. The action successfully freed 51 people without a single shot being fired.The second moment was when the German ‘Sprengkommando’ placed explosives on the Leeuwarden Post Office. The building was one of the key elements for the Canadians since it was essential to the functioning of telephony and telegraphy in Friesland. Destruction of the post office would have made communication between the advancing Canadians troops and the resistance sabotage groups much more difficult. But once the German troops tried to blow up the building, they discovered the local resistance had replaced the explosives by fake ones made of wood...Discover this story and many more along this beautiful 7 kilometers walk in and around Leeuwarden.

The Netherlands

Ruines of the Fliegerhorst

Bombing of the Fliegerhorst in Leeuwarden

Canadian tank on the Groningerstraatweg in Leeuwarden

April 15th, 1945. Leeuwarden gets liberated by Royal Canadian Dragoons. 

Fries Verzetsmuseum

Liberation close by, resistance in action 

On 14 April 1945, there was a panic among the remaining German soldiers in Leeuwarden. The Canadians were already in Friesland and could enter the capital at any moment. The occupying forces were getting ready to retreat. But not without damaging important infrastructure in the city first.&nbsp;&nbsp;The post office in Leeuwarden was one of their key targets. The building was essential to the functioning of telephony and telegraphy in Friesland. Destruction of the post office would make communication between the advancing Canadians and the resistance sabotage groups much more difficult. German soldiers placed explosives in the basement of the building, ready to blow it up as soon as the enemy approached. Nearby residents were warned and had to leave their homes. But when members of the 'Sprengkommando' lit the fuse, nothing happened. The cubes of explosives had been replaced by fake copies made of wood. They had been fooled.  &nbsp;Mark Wierda, an engineering student and intelligence officer in the resistance, was the mastermind behind this successful action. For weeks, he worked on his project. He meticulously created the fake cubes of 'trotyl', also known as TNT, used by the Germans. The cubes were weighted with lead to give them the right weight. Then yellow paper was pasted to them, but the colour of the paper turned out to be too dark. They were then bleached to the right shade of yellow under the Diaconessen Hospital's sun lamp installation. The original seal of the Trotyl manufacturer had to be forged as well. That too was a success and on 11 April 1945, the cubes were ready.&nbsp;&nbsp;Employees of the PTT carried out the last step of the plan: replacing the real explosives with the wooden cubes. &nbsp;When PTT technicians entered the basement of the building the next day, they found that the Germans had taken their anger out on the equipment with iron rods. Fortunately, the damage was limited. The monumental building on the Tweebaksmarkt had escaped disaster. &nbsp;Of the 72 cubes, seven remained undamaged. One was sent to Prince Bernhard, one ended up in the Postal Museum, and the remaining five are owned by the Fries Verzetsmuseum (Frisian Resistance museum).   &nbsp;Mark Wierda did not live to see the result of his work. Together with his two younger brothers, he was executed near Dronrijp on 11 April 1945, four days before the liberation of Leeuwarden.&nbsp;

Occupying forces tricked with fake explosives 

On 15 April just before noon, a patrol of the Royal Canadian Dragoons drove almost unimpeded into the city via the Groningerstraatweg. Soon after, the rest of their Squadron followed. Commander Lieutenant Colonel Landell established the Regimental Headquarters at Hotel De Doelen.&nbsp; &nbsp; While much of Leeuwarden's population welcomed the liberators, there was at least one family in Leeuwarden that had other priorities. The birth of a daughter was imminent. Amid all the revelry, baby Janny was born in a house on Werkmanslust street. Janny was the sixth child in the Jetten family. So there was a double celebration in Jetten's house. But there were still fears that the Germans could return.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To determine whether a German counter-attack could be expected from the west, part of the Squadron soon set off again. They reached Franeker the same day. But had to leave this city again on the very same day because of the considerable German presence west of the city. &nbsp; &nbsp;A German attempt to retake Leeuwarden was out of the question, though. The Dragoons received reinforcements from the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment Duke of York´s Royal Canadian Hussars on the afternoon of 15 April. And when the infantry of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders arrived on the night of 15 to 16 April, there was no longer any danger of the Germans retaking the city. Moreover, on 16 April, large parts of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division were welcomed to the Frisian capital.&nbsp; &nbsp; The Dragoons made a major contribution to the liberation of Friesland. A confluence of circumstances also allowed them to be the first Canadian unit to be received in Leeuwarden. The bond that then developed between Leeuwarden and the Royal Canadian Dragoons has since remained.&nbsp; &nbsp; In 1959, the Dragoons paid an extended visit to the city. The liberation was commemorated during several gatherings. Then 14-year-old Janny Jetten, the girl born during the Dragoons' entry, was dubbed ‘liberation girl of Leeuwarden’ by the Canadians and was showered with presents. Leeuwarden donated an old Frisian grandfather clock to the regiment. Canadian delegations also visited the city in later years.&nbsp; &nbsp; In 1983, when the Royal Canadian Dragoons celebrated their centenary, a bricked-in plaque commemorating the liberation of Leeuwarden was unveiled in the municipal office. Leeuwarden commemorates the liberation by the Royal Canadian Dragoons every year on 15 April. On this occasion, in the presence of a delegation of the Dragoons, the regimental flag is also hoisted by the mayor. &nbsp; &nbsp; The Royal Canadian Dragoons celebrate Leeuwarden Day every year on 15 April - wherever they are in the world. On that day, the flag of Leeuwarden is raised and the Dragoons’ deployment in Friesland is commemorated.

Leeuwarden and the Royal Canadian Dragoons

​​​On 12 April, the Royal Canadian Dragoons entered Friesland at Noordwolde. They were to conduct reconnaissance with their armoured vehicles and reach the Wadden Sea as quickly as possible. As a result, the German troops in Friesland and Groningen would be separated.&nbsp;On the night of 14 to 15 April, three Squadrons of the Dragoons were at Suameer. ​​Burgum could not be reached earlier that day, because the bridge at Burgummerdam had been blown up by the Germans.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, all sorts of things were happening in nearby Leeuwarden. ​​On 12 April, the airfield had been blown up by the Germans. And they left the city on 14 April. Leeuwarden would not be defended. The Burgerweeshuis (Civil Orphanage) that had housed several German agencies was set on fire. ​​An attempt to blow up the telephone exchange failed due to an ingenious intervention by the resistance.&nbsp; In the early morning of 15 April, the resistance also took to the streets en masse to occupy important points and to capture Germans who had remained behind.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Dragoons in Suameer were in contact with the resistance in Leeuwarden. Due to various reports, it was unclear whether there was now heavy fighting in Leeuwarden or whether the Germans had left the city completely. Because the Germans had blown up important bridges on the route from Heerenveen to Leeuwarden, the infantry could not quickly provide assistance.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So, the Dragoons went to take a look for themselves. Initially, a patrol of four vehicles was sent via the Groningerstraatweg into the city around half past eleven.&nbsp; One of the Canadians in those vehicles recorded the following:&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; "As we entered the city, passing through ​​the concrete barrier by the narrow passageway left for normal traffic, we were met by an almost hysterical patrol of Resistance men [...] In a few moments the news of our arrival had spread through the city, and we were given a fantastic welcome as we rolled slowly forward into the centre of town."&nbsp;A resident of Leeuwarden recalled:&nbsp;&nbsp; "We lived close to the Groningerstraatweg, where our liberators passed. Many hundreds of us stood there, all happy spectators. All of a sudden, two ladies from the row flung themselves forward and threw their arms around the Canadians' necks, saying: "Oh darlings, you’re here at last!"&nbsp;After the patrol determined that the coast was clear, the entire C Squadron, a detachment of the Royal Canadian Engineers and Regimental Headquarters of Lieutenant-Colonel Landell followed. Leeuwarden had been liberated. After this, thousands took to the streets. One of the Canadians wrote:&nbsp; "We halted, and were immediately surrounded by laughing, yelling mobs of people, bringing flowers to give to us, and cheering every move. The Resistance men were everywhere, doing their best to keep the people within bounds and off the cars, but their efforts were hardly necessary. I never saw a more satisfying gathering in my life."&nbsp;

The liberation of Leeuwarden 

The Detention Centre, the Blokhuispoort, kept important resistance fighters in confinement. If they succumbed to the heavy pressure of interrogations and started naming names, many resistance fighters in the province would be in great danger.&nbsp;The leadership of the KP in Friesland had been devising a plan to raid the House of Detention since October 1944. The decision to take action fell in early December 1944. Immediately, it was also decided which prisoners would be free and which would be left behind.&nbsp;Using forged papers, the first group of KP members, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/nl/pois/1298/dokkum-museum-and-old-town-hall-jean-prosper-gautier-and-piet-oberman">the leader of the action Piet Oberman</a>, managed to enter the Detention Centre. The guards were overpowered, and the other members went inside. In minutes, the prisoners were freed from their cells. When three more prisoners were brought in by the occupying soldiers in the middle of the raid, things got exciting. Through quick action by the KP agents, they managed to lock up the escorts and free the detainees.&nbsp;&nbsp;Without a shot being fired, a total of 51 people were freed from the Detention Centre: 50 prisoners and one guard. The Germans responded on 9 December with intensive checks and house searches. The result was nil, no arrests were made and, quite exceptionally, no reprisals followed.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the war, the raid became one of the most famous actions of the Frisian resistance. Several books about the action appeared over the years. The 1962 film The Silent Raid made the story known across the country. Some one-and-a-half million cinemagoers watched this film.&nbsp;

The raid on the Blokhuispoort 

Their armoured vehicles and cars were already rolling into Dokkum, the northernmost town, on 14 April. One day later, they also liberated the capital of Leeuwarden. Battles still continued in several locations. The Dragoons managed to limit their losses, however, partly due to intelligence and help from the Frisian resistance. Another four young Dragoons nevertheless lost their lives during the battles. The connection with Friesland, and Leeuwarden in particular, has always remained strong. The Dragoons celebrate "Leeuwarden Day" every year on 15 April.In Leeuwarden, their deployment is commemorated with the raising of the regimental flag.

Liberation by Royal Canadian Dragoons 

During the war, the occupation in Leeuwarden was hard to miss. German troops could regularly be seen on the streets. After the unrest of the Milk Strike in 1943, the central supply roads to the city were closed off with large concrete blocks. This “Mauer Wall” allowed only traffic to enter the city at a walking pace. &nbsp;The highest German authority in the province, Beauftragte Werner Ross had set up his office in the Old Burger Weeshuis in Leeuwarden. The SD was in the Spaarbank building on the Zaailand. When it moved to the Burmania House on 25 February 1945, the resistance saw an opportunity to install bugging devices. For the resistance, it was critical to know what the intelligence service was doing. &nbsp;With the help of the PTT, the telephone company at the time, microphones were installed and four telephone lines were tapped. The home line of Hauptsturmbandführer Albrecht was also tapped. The listening post listened in on conversations and interrogations day and night. It was an exciting and difficult task. The interrogations in the Burmania House were not gentle: in addition to intimidation and threats, torture was also used. After the liberation, a water chest, sap and thumbscrews were found there. Prisoners were also locked up in cramped cells with no freedom of movement. &nbsp;On Saturday, 14 April, the listening post’s work ended. That day, the SD could be heard clearing the premises. Typewriters were removed, and stamps were handed in. When the telephone rang at 21:00, it was not answered. The next morning, the Dutch Forces of the Interior took over the Burmania House as their headquarters. Resistance fighters arrested the last Germans. That same day, the resistance established a telephone link with the Allies. The underground forces were in full control of the city. The first Canadian tanks drove into the city at noon on Sunday, 15 April. Leeuwarden was liberated.

Eavesdropping in the Burmania House

Le "Fries Verzetsmuseum" a été ouvert en 1979 et a été le premier musée de la résistance aux Pays-Bas. Au fil des ans, il a élargi sa collection et a déménagé à plusieurs reprises. En décembre 2019, le musée a été réorganisé, ce qui a donné lieu à une nouvelle présentation exceptionnelle qui est actuellement exposée. Au Fries Verzetsmuseum, vous rencontrerez les citoyens de la Frise pendant les années de guerre. Des Frisons et des non-Frisons racontent comment ils ont vécu la guerre dans les campagnes de la Frise. La résistance et la persécution ont eu lieu, mais il n'y a pas eu d'hiver de la faim. Cependant, il y avait des réfugiés et des gens qui venaient de loin pour chercher du lait et de la nourriture. Les histoires sont au cœur du Fries Verzetsmuseum. Des témoins oculaires et des objets ayant une histoire personnelle nous rapprochent de la guerre. Ces histoires touchent, confrontent et font réfléchir. L'accent est mis sur les choix difficiles que les gens ont dû faire en ces temps particuliers. La guerre aérienne au-dessus de la Frise, la résistance contre l'occupant et la clandestinité sont au centre de l'exposition. Une attention particulière est également accordée au vol spectaculaire de la résistance frisonne sur la Huis van Bewaring (prison où sont enfermés les prisonniers en attente de jugement ou de condamnation) à Leeuwarden.

The Fries Verzetsmuseum (Frisian Resistance Museum) in Leeuwarden is devoted to the impact of the Second World War on people in the province of Friesland. The collection presents 45,000 objects, documents, books, magazines, photographs and films, which give a global picture of the war in Friesland. 

The Fries Verzetsmuseum was opened in 1979 and was the first resistance museum in the Netherlands. Over the years it expanded its collection and moved several times. In December 2019 the museum was reorganised which lead to a great new presentation which is currently on display.

In the Fries Verzetsmuseum you’ll meet the citizens of Friesland during the war years. Frisians and non-Frisians tell their stories of how they experienced the war in the countryside in Friesland. Resistance and persecution took place, but no hunger winter. However, there were refugees and people coming from far away to get milk and food.

Stories are at the heart of the Fries Verzetsmuseum. Eyewitnesses and objects with a personal story bring the war up close. These stories affect, confront and make people think. There is a focus on the difficult choices people had to make in these special times. Central are the subjects of the air war above Friesland, the resistance against the occupier and the hiding. Special attention is also paid to the spectacular robbery of the Frisian resistance on the Huis van Bewaring (prison which holds prisoners awaiting trial or sentence) in Leeuwarden.