Westerbork commanders house, Historical residence in Zwiggelte, Netherlands.
Westerbork commanders house is a wooden residence built in 1939, protected under a glass dome structure as a preserved example of wartime administrative buildings. The structure displays typical architecture from that period and contains original furnishings and features from when it was in use.
The house was built in 1939 when the Westerbork camp was established as a refugee camp, later becoming the residence of camp commander Albert Konrad Gemmeker during the German occupation. It remains one of the few buildings from that period still standing in its original location.
The house features a garden designed by Jewish gardener Fuchs, with restored gravel paths and original ornamental plants from the wartime period. Visitors can see how this outdoor space was carefully maintained as part of daily life at the camp.
The house is protected and managed by the Memorial Center Camp Westerbork, which has maintained it since 2010 for public access. Visitors should be aware that this is a fragile, legally protected monument that requires respectful handling during any visit.
This is the only original structure from Westerbork camp that has remained in its initial location, as all other buildings from the site were removed or relocated. This fact makes it an extraordinarily valuable witness to the physical past of the place.
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