Kamp Hooghalen, Labor camp in Hooghalen, Netherlands.
Kamp Hooghalen was a labor camp near the village of Hooghalen in Midden-Drenthe, situated along an important railway line between Hoogeveen and Groningen. The complex housed about 160 workers and contained training areas, dormitories, and administrative buildings arranged in a structured layout.
The camp was established in 1939 and began operations in December 1940 as part of a broader national labor service program. It emerged during a period when such institutions were created across the Netherlands for work placement and training purposes.
The facility served as a training center where young men, many of them former soldiers, learned to become leaders and supervisors at other labor camps across the country. This training function made it an important hub within the broader labor camp network of that era.
The site is located in a rural area and is accessible by rail, as the camp was built directly along an important railway line. Visitors should know that site conditions and infrastructure may have changed considerably and it is best to check accessibility beforehand.
The camp contained multiple punishment cells, a feature that set it apart from many other labor facilities of that period. This detail reflects how strictly discipline was enforced at the site.
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