Do you see the steel barrier before us? This is part of the Entree Rozenoord Stile. It marks a place of profound sorrow and remembrance.
Entree Rozenoord Stile serves as a gateway to understanding a dark chapter in Amsterdam’s history. It stands near the site of the Rozenoord executions. Here, during the final months of World War II, the German occupiers heartlessly shot 140 Dutch people.
“Fusilladeplaats” means firing squad place. Rozenoord got its name from a rose nursery. This nursery stood here around 1900. Later, a teahouse adopted the name in the 1930s. The municipality bought the site in 1941. They planned to expand Zorgvliet cemetery. During the war, the Germans used it as part of their defense line.
Imagine the scene in late 1944. The German police controlled this area. The resistance against the occupiers grew stronger. Amsterdam became the center of illegal actions. The Germans decided to respond with brutality. They abolished the trial of Terroristen und Saboteure. Arrested resistance fighters were labeled ‘Toteskandidat’. This meant they could be shot without trial.
One chilling example is Jantjen van Nijendaal. He was just 18 years old. He was caught transporting weapons. On January 30, 1945, he was shot here at Rozenoord.
For years, Rozenoord was an inconspicuous place. Only a flagpole marked the execution site. In 1973, a simple memorial stone was placed here. It bore the words “Spring 1945.”
In 2015, a new memorial designed by Ram Katzir was erected in Amstelpark. It features a lawn with empty chairs. Each chair represents a victim of the Rozenoord executions. The chairs are scattered. This gives the impression that the people sitting on them have just walked away. Each chair has a plaque bearing the name, date of birth, and date of execution of a victim. Some plaques remain for unknown victims.
The Entree Rozenoord Stile and its surroundings invite reflection. It prompts us to remember the human cost of war. The monument serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and resistance against oppression. Each year on 4 May, a commemoration takes place. It is sometimes held at the former execution site. We honor those who lost their lives here.
The Entree Rozenoord Stile is more than just a barrier. It marks a spot of pain. But it’s also a tribute to courage, remembrance, and the enduring spirit of the Dutch people. It urges us to never forget the past.