Huize Windekind, Historical residence in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands
Huize Windekind is a red brick villa in Scheveningen, The Hague, built on a slope along Nieuwe Parklaan at the edge of Westbroekpark. The building rises across four levels, with a facade that alternates between solid wall sections and more open parts.
The villa was built in 1928 as a private residence for police commissioner Francois van 't Sant. During World War II, German forces took it over and used it as a headquarters for the Sicherheitspolizei.
The name Windekind comes from a fairy-tale figure in the Dutch novel 'De kleine Johannes' by writer Frederik van Eeden. A large key symbol carved into the facade is a direct reference to that book, visible to anyone walking past.
Because the building sits on a slope, different floors can be reached from different sides of the terrain. A visit to the area pairs well with a walk through the adjacent Westbroekpark.
The basement was used as an interrogation room during the German occupation, where prisoners were mistreated. Nothing on the outside hints at this part of the building's past, which makes it easy to overlook.
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