War and Freedom at Paleis Het Loo

Sound:Typhoon aircraft, air alarm, overflying aircraft. 

Music: Exciting piano music. 

VO: This tour starts at the iron gate a the begin of the avenue between the stables and the palace. 

It's November 1944, 12 British Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter planes    have taken off from Eindhoven Airport. Their goal? To destroy a secret headquarters of the SS, the elite unit of the German army.

One of the pilots flying along is Rob van Zinniq-Bergman - a Dutchman. 

Like no other, Rob knows that he is not about to destroy just any headquarters: the target is Paleis Het Loo. And with any luck, the bombs will fall just about where you, the listener, are standing right now.

Sound: Faint explosion echoes in the distance and silence follows. 

VO: But we are getting ahead of ourselves.... 

Music becomes upbeat and energetic. 

VO: First, let me introduce myself: my name is Max Boogaard. I'm a journalist and podcast-creator. And I'll be your guide on this podwalk.

With great personal interest I’ve looked into what went on in and around this palace just before, during and after the Second World War. And I'm excited to share those stories with you in the next hour. 

...

During my research, I was often reminded of a saying that goes: "history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes." 

And although there is no war in Apeldoorn now, the stories of that time rhyme perhaps more strongly than ever. 

These are stories about unthinkable situations becoming reality, in a world filled with uncertainty, and about ordinary people facing difficult choices. How much is freedom worth to you? And perhaps even more difficult: how far do you dare to go for the freedom of another?

Before we begin, allow me to share some practical information.... This tour starts at the big iron gate at the beginning of the stables avenue to the palace. At the end of each excerpt, I'll tell you how to walk to the next location. I will also let you know if you should listen to the next excerpt while walking or only once you’ve arrived at a particular location. 

Along the route, you will also find several signs with photos and information about the stories from this podwalk - for when you want to take a longer look. The podwalk takes about an hour and the walk is roughly 2.5 km in length. Finally, I recommend that you do this walk with plenty of daylight.

And yes, I promise you that we will come back here to hear how the story about Rob and the bombing ends. But to understand how and why it happened, we have to start at the beginning....

You can play the following excerpt as you walk, along the avenue, toward the blue palace gate.   

Music: Fade Out.

Music: Soft, quiet, upbeat music (feeling of 'everything was still good')

VO: We’re walking down the stables avenue towards the palace’s blue gate. 

As you may have noticed - if there are not too many visitors - it’s especially peaceful around here.

Audio: Sound of birds, wind increases (mood: tranquility) 

This calm atmosphere was also what drew Wilhelmina – the Dutch queen from 1898 to 1948 – to Paleis Het Loo. It wasn’t just any palace to her; it was her favorite refuge. That’s why she spent much of the 1930s living here, together with her daughter, Princess Juliana.

Juliana was her only child, which meant she was heir to the throne. That made it all the more important for her to marry soon – but at 26, she still hadn’t found a suitor. At first, Wilhelmina was firmly opposed to the idea of a German prince for Juliana, due to her strong disapproval of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.

Sound: Hitler speech compilation in background, people cheering. 

In the 1930s, Hitler transforms Germany from a democracy into a dictatorship. He eliminates political opponents, imposes strict censorship, and rapidly builds up the military — in violation of international agreements. As a result, fears of a new European war begin to grow.

As the search for a suitable match for Juliana continues, Wilhelmina finally opens up to the idea of a German. And so, in 1936, a charming young man from Germany enters the picture: Prince Bernhard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld. Juliana quickly falls in love.

What no one knew at the time was that Bernhard had been a member of the NSDAP — Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party — since 1933. Exactly the kind of thing Wilhelmina had feared.

Bernhard quietly renounces his membership and marries Juliana — a wedding celebrated across the Netherlands. Bernhard even personally sees to it that swastika flags are hoisted at the hotels where important German wedding guests are staying – after all, Germany is officially considered a friendly nation.

- pause

The ties between the Dutch Royal Family and Germany go back centuries. William of Orange, considered the Father of the nation, for example, came from the German noble house of Nassau, which would later become the House of Orange-Nassau.

And your left, on the field next to the avenue, you’ll see a statue of the Dutch stadholder Frederick Hendrik – there beside the large summer oak.  It was a gift to Queen Wilhelmina from her distant cousin, the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

Anyway, back to the 1930s… Over time, the German threat became increasingly real, and even here — in the quiet of Palace Het Loo — the tension couldn’t be ignored.

Have you arrived at the blue gate in front of the palace? Then go ahead and play the following excerpt.

VO: Feel free to walk around the square or take a seat on one of the benches while you listen to this excerpt. Is the blue gate closed? Then you can stroll around the small square in front of it instead. 

 Music: Dramatic, menacing but minimal music.

VO: During the 1930s, many German Jews fled Germany, fearing Nazi persecution and violence.

Sound: Hitler speech compilation in background, people cheering. 

 VO: The Netherlands offered little help when they reachecd the Dutch border. Those without proper papers were turned away without mercy.

A public debate began to emerge: should Jewish refugees be allowed in, or not? These kinds of discussions — about whether or not to take in refugees — are as old as time.

This discussion also reached Paleis Het Loo in 1939.

Politicians in The Hague were searching for a place to house the small number of Jewish refugees who were allowed into the country. An ideal location for a refugeecamp, they believed, was a patch of the nature park the Veluwe near Ermelo – on land bordering the grounds of this very palace…

The plan faced strong opposition from various organizations. Some feared the camp would harm tourism in the Veluwe, others that it might disturb their Sunday rest.

Queen Wilhelmina thought it was far too close to her beloved Paleis Het Loo – at 12 kilometers away.

It was a widely shared sentiment: people were willing to help refugees… just not in their own backyard.

In the end, the camp was never built.

- pause 

Music: Neutral music, with a sense of urgency. 

VO: Eventually, m ore serious thought was given to how Paleis Het Loo’s vast collection could be protected in the event of a war.

In November 1939, all valuables were removed from the palace’s reception rooms.

But when the intendant — responsible for managing the palace — asked Wilhelmina whether the valuables in her private quarters should also be hidden, she responded furiously:

VO (with echo): "Leave everything, [...] I want to be able to go to Het Loo every day and find the whole place as I left it [...]]"

VO: That firm stance proved short-lived. As the threat of war grew, the situation became so serious that — within weeks — tapestries and other artifacts were nevertheless hidden, in a room beneath the kitchen in the palace’s right wing.

Paleis Het Loo, a national symbol, was beginning to lose its splendor. 

VO: On May 10, 1940, what many had feared happened: Germany invades the Netherlands. 

Music: Dramatic, urgent. 

Sound: Radio fragment: Germans have been invaded 

VO: It is likely that the Germans aim to seize control of the government – and possibly take the royal family hostage. 

So, on May 12th, 1940, Juliana and Bernhard fled with their two daughters to England. A day later, Wilhelmina also made the crossing, with a gas mask and helmet within reach.

Five days after the invasion, the Netherlands surrenders. To many Dutch citizens, it feels as if they’ve been left behind by their government and queen. There is anger and disbelief: how could she abandon her people — now, of all times?

Walk to the entrance of the blue palace gate. Then, with your back to the palace, turn left. Walk past the barrier gate, and just before you reach the road, turn left again. Keep walking until you reach the Tuinmanslaan bus stop.

As you walk there, you can listen to the following excerpt.

VO: At the blue palace gate, with your back to the palace, turn left. Walk past the barrier gate, and just before you reach the road, turn left again. Keep walking until you reach the Tuinmanslaan bus stop.

Wilhelmina’s court and palace staff are left behind in confusion.

It’s hard for me to imagine the situation. For 42 years, Wilhelmina has involved herself in every detail of the court — and now, suddenly, she seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. What do you do then?

You find yourself among a handful of people suddenly responsible for six royal palaces and millions in assets — in the middle of a war, with no instructions.

At least Dutch civil servants could fall back on the so-called ‘instructions’ drawn up in 1937. This rather vague document outlines what civil servants should do if central authority is gone.

In short: they’re allowed to stay on, as long as it’s considered to be in the interest of the population.

But still… how do you weigh that interest? And at what point does staying on become a form of collaboration?

Would you continue working during an occupation? And when does the moment come when you decide to stop?

It’s a question the court and palace staff are forced to confront.

They collectively decide to follow the ‘instructions’, just like Dutch civil servants did. So they remain in their roles — as long as they believe they’re serving the interests of the royal family more than those of the occupying forces.

However, many staff members also have personal reasons for staying on. Some depend on their jobs for income or housing. 

In the first few weeks, the preservation of royal property goes surprisingly well. The palaces remain undamaged, and there’s no looting — yet. Even during the chaos of the first days of the invasion, the people at the palace had continued to secure valuable possessions.

The care taker of Paleis Het Loo estimates that on the evening of May 10th alone, 600,000 guilders’ worth of objects are hidden away.

Just a few days after the Netherlands surrenders, Hitler appoints Austrian Arthur Seyss-Inquart as Reich Commissioner for Dutch territory. From that moment on, all powers of the Dutch head of state and government lie in the hands of this Reich Commissioner.

The court and staff wait anxiously to see what he plans to do with the royal palaces.

Have you arrived at the Tuinmanslaan bus stop? Then go ahead and play the next excerpt.

Music: Neutral, background.

VO: If you’re standing at the bus stop at the Tuinmanslaan, you can see Hotel de Keizerskroon just across the bend in the road — over there, by the Dutch flag. If you can’t see the hotel, take a few steps to the left. 

Shortly after the invasion, a German army captain takes up residence in that hotel with his staff. He’s eager to occupy a room in the palace itself, but is told that doing so would leave a bad impression on the Dutch population:

 (quote with reverberation): 'Until now, the royal palaces have remained untouched, that has been greatly appreciated.'

 It is a good example of what would come to be called "the politics of the velvet glove”.

Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart understands that harsh oppression of the Dutch – and misuse of the royal property – could have a negative effect on public opinion. 

And so, in the first few months, very little happens to Paleis Het Loo. In fact, a high-ranking SS officer — the SS being an elite unit of the German army — tells the court: REVERB: ‘Nothing must be changed. The queen must find her affairs as she left them.’

But whether he truly believes the queen will ever return is highly questionable… The staff, of course, would like nothing more…

Now, walk back the same way towards the blue palace gate. 

As you walk, you can listen to the following excerpt.

VO: We’re walking back towards the blue palace gate. 

As time passes, the German occupiers increase the pressure. It turns out that most Dutch people are not easily won over to National Socialism. National Socialism was the political vision of the Nazis and based on a mix of extreme nationalist and racist ideas.

On June 29, 1940, Prince Bernhard's birthday, the first public demonstration against the German occupation takes place. Among other things, by wearing Carnations, Bernhard's favorite flower, the Dutch people show their loyalty to the Royal Family. 

The popularity of the Royal family is a thorn in the side of the Germans. All royal expressions in public life must therefore disappear. And so the designation 'royal' was replaced by 'national'. Judges no longer ruled "in the name of the king" but "in the name of law”. The Juliana Tower becomes simply the Julia Tower....

The Germans also attempt to punish the royal family more directly. Some members of their court, in revenge for Carnation Day, are imprisoned in a hostage camp near Buchenwald. Among them is the stable master Charles Verheyen – who later dies there of illness.

- 

After the February Strike of 1941 — when thousands of workers went on strike in protest against the first deportations of Jews — little remains of the Germans’ so-called ‘politics of the velvet glove.’

It is the only time in all of occupied Europe that people protest in great numbers against the persecution of Jews.

From that point on, the Germans see little reason to continue protecting Dutch palaces.

And then, in April, what has been feared here for months finally happens: troops of the German army — the Wehrmacht — move into both side wings of Paleis Het Loo.

On April 20th, Hitler’s birthday, the soldiers celebrate lavishly in the palace.

Sound: Partying drunk people and horn music

The German soldiers quartered at Paleis Het Loo are sent to the Russian front after only a few weeks. 

Their departure gives the palace staff an opportunity to hide another 600 kilograms of copper and bronze beneath the palace floors. Even under occupation, they try to act as much as possible in the spirit of their queen.

Have you arrived at the the blue palace gate? With the palace at your back, walk down the middle avenue – this is the avenue right in front of the palace. In the distance, you’ll see a stone monument — it’s called The Needle, and that’s where we’re headed.

Along the way, you’ll come across a chain; you can simply walk around it. Stay as far to the right as possible and be mindful of any approaching shuttle busses. As you walk, listen to the next excerpt.

With the palace behind us, we walk along the middle avenue towards The Needle. Watch out for shuttle buses along the way. At the end of the lane, there is a chain,  you can walk around it 

In 1942, shortly after the copper and bronze valuables are hidden, the Germans decide to turn Paleis Het Loo into a Convalescent home for wounded soldiers and senior officers.

To protect the palace from bombing, they paint a large white cross on the roof — a visible sign that the building now serves a medical purpose.

Noise: building, stuff being moved, carpentry, murmurs.

The east wing of the palace is fitted with 132 beds for recovering soldiers. The main hall is used as a dining room for Wehrmacht officers. In the west wing, massage rooms, medical baths, and light therapy areas are set up — along with additional rooms for wounded officers.

Remarkably, it’s the German chief doctor — known for his relatively moderate political stance — who resists big renovations to the palace. He also ensures that the personal quarters of the royal family remain off-limits to the soldiers.

Still, a covered ramp is constructed, so that in the event of an air raid, patients can be evacuated — beds and all — as quickly as possible to a nearby shelter. That shelter is located where the staff car park stands today.

A recreation room, now known as the ballroom, in the west wing is transformed into a cinema. It even hosts a "Viennese Evening" with concerts featuring works by Schubert, Brahms and Mozart.

Sound: Mozart concert, murmurs, clinking glasses.

The vast crown estate also proves ideal for grand hunting parties. Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart and members of the SS leadership are among the regular guests. Leaders of the NSB — the Dutch National Socialist Movement — including Anton Mussert, also attend.

By this point, Paleis Het Loo seems fully taken over by the German occupiers. And yet, the palace intendant — who oversees the staff — encourages the continued presence of Dutch employees.

Most of them agree to stay on, believing that by remaining in their roles, they are still serving their queen in the best way they can.

Because most of the staff remain,silent acts of resistance become possible. People are hidden in the palace, and when they can, staff members sabotage the Germans.

Music: switch to exciting music

There is the story of Willem Röell — a close friend of Prince Bernhard. Willem had served for many years as the palace forester, responsible for maintaining the surrounding forests.

Over time, he becomes a key link in secretly channeling information to England. He also passes along many personal messages to the royal family.

But Willem takes more and more risks. So when, in June 1942, Princess Juliana hears the news of his fate through others, she isn’t surprised. REVERB: She writes: ‘it has finally happened, what was actually always so likely — Willem is caught.’

VO:  In August of that year, Willem is sentenced to death.

Have you arrived at The Needle? Then listen to the following excerpt for your next walking instructions.

You are now leaving the grounds of the palace. Please be careful – there is a lot of traffic in this area. Walk right along the bicycle path, and turn left at the first traffic lights. After crossing the road, walk straight ahead along the footpath next to the Bastion Hotel, until you are at bus stop Gedenknaald, at Loolaan 554. For your own safety, take off your headphones or earbuds. 

Once you’re there, you play the following excerpt. 

VO: We’re now at the Gedenknaald bus stop, near Loolaan 554.  

The cooperating armies of the British, Americans, Canadians, and Poles were known as the Allies.

By 1943, fears grow among the Nazi leadership of Allied attacks on the Dutch coast — including in The Hague – the political center of the Netherlands. As a result, plans are made to relocate essential departments to the center of the country. Apeldoorn is chosen as the new administrative center of the Netherlands.

Right here, construction begins on a large underground command bunker, built from reinforced concrete. You can still find the brick entrance at this very spot.

This heavily secured building includes not only offices, but also living quarters — a bedroom, a bathroom with a shower, and even a telephone exchange.

In February 1944, Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart decides to move his office into this villa. During air raids, he works from the bunker below.

In the first days of September 1944, Allied troops make rapid progress in northern Belgium. Then, on Tuesday, September 5, a rumor begins to spread — fueled by inaccurate reports and a good deal of wishful thinking — that Allied forces have already crossed into the Netherlands.

Many members of the Dutch NSB and German officials flee.

Meanwhile, across the country, Dutch civilians gather hopefully at town borders, waiting for the liberators to arrive. But soon, it becomes clear: it was only a rumor. The Allies are not coming — not yet.

The day comes to be known as Dolle Dinsdag, or ‘Mad Tuesday.’ And I can hardly imagine the disappointment people must have felt in that moment…

For Reichskommissar Seyss-Inquart, the chaos of Mad Tuesday is reason to relocate with his wife and daughter to the center of the country — close to his office and this bunker. Apeldoorn has now truly become the center of power in the occupied Netherlands.

Now, follow the same route back toward The Needle. As you approach the traffic lights, you’ll see — across the road on your left — the National Canadian Liberation Monument, also known as The Man with Two Hats.

You can choose to listen to the next excerpt there, or once you’re back at The Needle. Just keep in mind: you’ll need to cross the road to reach it. So pause the tour here, and watch out for oncoming cars and cyclists.

VO: The National Canadian Liberation Monument — The Man with Two Hats. Even when you’re standing next to The Needle, you can see the monument in the distance. 

In Ottawa, Canada, you’ll find an identical monument – its twin. The monuments were created by Canadian artist David M. McGill. The two hats have a symbolic meaning: one represents the Canadian soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands, the other stands for Dutch political leaders or royalty — a symbol of the country that was freed.

For Canada, the liberation of the Netherlands came at a high cost: more than 6,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives.

These young men died in a foreign land, for the freedom of others. I find that hard to grasp sometimes. Would we do the same?

It is also the Canadians who eventually liberate this area.

But we’re not there yet in the story…

By now, the Netherlands had endured four long years of war. Tens of thousands of Jews have been deported to concentration and extermination camps — often with the help of Dutch agencies.

Public life is marked by fear, scarcity, and oppression. And there still seems to be no end in sight.

If you haven’t already, begin walking back toward The Needle. Cross the road again at the traffic lights, and be especially careful — watch out for approaching cars and cyclists. Take your headphones or earbuds off while walking. 

Start the next excerpt once you’ve arrived.

At The Needle, turn back into the same avenue, heading toward the palace. Walk past the building called Het Kleine Loo, and then take a diagonal left, before the chain, toward the Stable square.

Just a heads-up: at the end of the path, there’s a cattle grid — you can simply walk around it.

Music: soft but building soundscape. 

On September 17, 1944, the Allies launch an attempt to liberate the entire Netherlands.

During Operation Market Garden, massive airborne landings take place around Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem. The goal is to capture key bridges through a combination of air landings and a ground offensive — in the hope of ending the war before Christmas.

For a moment, the end seems within reach. But the operation fails. Only the south of the Netherlands is liberated. The north — including Apeldoorn — will have to wait more than six more months for liberation.

- pause

The Allies suffer heavy losses, and many wounded British prisoners of war are brought to Paleis Het Loo for medical care — which is still occupied and functioning as a convalescent home.

An eyewitness watches as the British wounded are laid out on the lawn in front of the palace. While the German wounded receive treatment first, the British lie waiting on the grass for hours.

Eventually, to separate them from the German soldiers, they are moved into the former quarters of the royal family.

One day, the caretaker of Paleis Het Loo informs the Germans that there’s a problem with the water pipes in the rooms where British prisoners of war are being held. A plumber is sent in — but instead of just fixing pipes, he secretly brings maps and escape instructions.

In the dead of night, the prisoners tie bedsheets together and climb out the window. Outside, members of the resistance are waiting for them.

It’s an act of resistance — right in the lion’s den. And remarkably, Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart — who, as we now know, keeps office just around the corner — knows nothing about it.

After the cattle grid, turn left and walk onto the stables square. On the wooden entrance gate you’ll see an information sign.

Please note: the stable square is only accessible during opening hours. If it’s closed, don’t worry — during the next fragment, you can look through or over the wooden fence.

It’s time to return to the bombing of November 1944…

Music: Energetic but exciting music. 

We’re standing on stables square. It is Saturday, November 4, 1944. The sky is scattered with clouds.

British intelligence has discovered that the right pavilion of the royal stables is no longer in use by palace staff — it has been transformed into a Waffen-SS headquarters.

The British decide to bomb the building. But the strike must be incredibly precise — families are still living in the left pavilion. The risk of civilian casualties is high.

Even so, the attack goes ahead.

Sound: aircraft take off. Air defense and air alarm can be heard. 

Several targets around the palace are attacked. Other planes attempt to bomb Seyss-Inquart’s office and bunker — but they miss. 

One British plane is shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. It crashes in the woods behind the stables. The pilot, David Wallace, is killed.

Meanwhile, on the Loseweg, at least three innocent people are lethally struck by bullets from British aircraft.

Dutchman Rob van Zinnicq-Bergmann and his fellow pilots continue their flight toward Paleis Het Loo. Four years earlier, Rob was wounded during the German invasion. After escaping to England, he joined the Royal Air Force and learned to fly planes like this one — the Typhoon, or as he fondly calls it, the ‘Tiffy.’

From high above, they dive straight down toward the right pavilion of the royal stables — and release their bombs…

Sound: Explosion. 

They hit their target. The entire right pavilion is destroyed. Several Dutch SS men are killed. In Rob’s eyes, the attack is a great success.

You may have already noticed — Queen Wilhelmina never wanted the pavilion rebuilt. As a reminder of the war, she insisted it remain missing.

The outline of the building is still visible in the pavement today. And directly across from it, there’s a tactile model for the blind and visually impaired — the pavilion is missing from that too.

Now walk back across the stables square and exit through the iron gate. Follow the avenue along the stables, heading toward the palace.

Take the first path on your right. Follow the stone path until you reach the middle avenue again. At the end of the stone path, you’ll find another information sign.

In the meantime, you can start playing the following excerpt.

Music: Sad quiet music

Sound: (Bleak) wind

We walk along the stables avenue towards the palace and take the first path on our right — just past the first lamppost. We continue walking until we reach the middle avenue again

A harsh early winter follows in the Netherlands — known as the Hunger Winter. More than 20,000 people die of malnutrition.

That same winter, when the founder of the Dutch SS, Henk Feldmeijer, is killed, a state funeral is held beneath the trees of Paleis Het Loo. The entire NSB leadership is in attendance.

It’s another stark reminder of how important — and symbolic — this place was to the Nazi regime.

Have you arrived the information sign near the middle avenue? Play the next excerpt. 

VO: We’re on the middle avenue, right in front of the palace. 

After the Canadian crossing of the river IJssel on April 12, 1945, the northern parts of the Netherlands are finally being liberated. At last they are here! The endless waiting is over.

On April 17, Canadian tanks drive up this very avenue, and the remaining German medical personnel surrender.

At the request of the Canadians, all Wehrmacht belongings are cleared from the palace. Two days later, on April 19, Prince Bernhard arrives with his military staff and settles at Paleis Het Loo.

With the Queen’s permission, the palace becomes the headquarters of the ‘Dutch Armed Forces’.

One can see little of Bernhard’s German past. He presents himself as a heroic Dutch war figure — despite never having ever neutralized an enemy soldier

On May 5th, Bernhard departs Paleis Het Loo and heads to Hotel De Wereld to attend the German surrender. He drives out of this very avenue — in a confiscated Mercedes that once belonged to Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart.

Sound: Oldtimer car driving away - fade out.   

The Netherlands seems liberated after five years of war — but the kingdom is still at war. The Dutch East Indies remains under Japanese occupation until August 1945.

If you’d like to visit the palace, you can listen to the final excerpt as you walk over the middle avenue towards the palace. Just keep in mind: you’ll need an entrance ticket to go inside. If you’d prefer not to enter, you can return to the stables instead – while you listen to the last excerpt.

Music: Quiet music, birds, wind.

- Breathe: giving a sense that time is passing. 

After her return to the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina refused to go back to Paleis Het Loo — the palace had been completely ruined by the Germans.

Out of anger, she is even said to have considered having it demolished. But fortunately, it never comes to that.

Wilhelmina’s attitude toward her court and staff has also changed. For five years, they had waited and hoped for their queen’s return — but it turns out differently than they imagined.

Wilhelmina expects that many of them have survived concentration camps or been deeply involved in the resistance. But to her surprise, that is not the case.

Many staff members are dismissed overnight — especially if there is any suspicion, whether justified or not, of collaboration with the German occupiers.

One footman, for example, is dismissed simply because he is married to a German woman — a marriage that took place well before 1940.

It seems the queen had momentarily forgotten that she herself — the daughter of a German mother and the granddaughter of two German grandparents — had married a German in 1901. And that her son-in-law is German as well.

The staff at Paleis Het Loo have dedicated five long years to their queen. They had worked under extraordinary circumstances and instead of a medal — many receive a dismissal.

Break

Wilhelmina eventually did return to her beloved summer palace. In 1946, she opens part of Paleis Het Loo to receive relatives of fallen resistance fighters and officers from the Dutch East Indies. 

-

War forces everyone to make choices — to step down, to resist, or simply to survive. 

The wartime history of Paleis Het Loo shows us just how thin the line is between normal and exceptional, between peace and war.

And it reminds us that even today, we must keep asking ourselves the question: what would I do?

Thank you for listening to this podwalk. For more stories about the palace in times of war and freedom, visit the Paleis Het Loo website.