Ride to hell for Dennenoord patients

This was a real migration of people so near the end of the war: The occupiers had decided that Dennenoord was to become a war hospital. But first, space had to be made. On 12 March, the German authority ordered the general evacuation of the foundation site. More than 500 patients were housed at the time in Assen, Wagenborgen, in nurses' homes and some other buildings in Zuidlaren. It was challenging to find a suitable place for 528 patients. That ended up being several places in Franeker: unsuitable and without preparation, this choice became a torturous process.  

As early as the trip to the Frisian town, the first patient died. That would not be the last one either. During their stay there, a further 55 patients died. In a four-month period - from departure on 27 March 1945 until their return on 26 July 1945, more than 10 percent of the patients died.  

The omens did not bode well. The withdrawal of the occupying forces was chaotic during the final months of the war. It was a time of increasing shortages in all areas.  

Eyewitnesses described the beginning of the hellish journey as dehumanising: ‘It is a long procession of people strapped to wagon, walking and shuffling; the transport to the station in Vries takes six hours, which is a pitiful sight to behold.'  

From there they travelled in filthy train carriages with broken windows towards Franeker. It took two full days. In Franeker, patients were housed in schools and an asylum building. The nurses who came along and some doctors helped as best they could. But resources were minimal. Patients slept on straw in premises, the sick could not be nursed separately, cleaning supplies were in scarce supply. Clothes were washed in a pond or ditch. There were no eating utensils available.  

On 15 April, less than a month after arriving in Franeker, this city was liberated. There was a great celebration, but it took some time for living conditions to improve. Many patients still died in short order after the liberation. The high number of casualties is attributed to the harsh conditions. People contracted dysentery, tuberculosis, pneumonia, while nutritional status and hygiene were poor.  

On 26 July, patients and staff at Dennenoord returned to a chaotic situation. At the time, the institution was not equipped for patient care. After the war, this drama fell into oblivion. The mentality was focussed on 'looking ahead', with energy directed towards the future.