Often inconspicuously hidden in the landscape, the Dutch coast is still full of World War II bunkers. On Saturday May 25, 2024 it is Bunkerday. Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., from Zeeland to the Wadden Islands the Atlantikwall bunkers will open to the public for one day. The concrete behemoths often have limited access. Sometimes sunk into the sand or taken over by nature, they still tell the story of the German occupation.
Atlantic Wall
The European coast literally turned into a fortress during the German occupation. During World War II, Nazi Germany constructed a defense line more than 5,000 kilometers long: the Atlantic Wall. Countless bunkers, tank walls and trenches, built at strategic locations, are still the silent witnesses. Dordrecht occupied a key position between the cities of Breda and Rotterdam. An important highway and the railroad that ran across the Island of Dordrecht connected Brabant with South Holland. Whoever owned these controlled the connection of the area south of the great rivers and Rotterdam.
Along the outer dikes of the Eiland van Dordrecht, bunkers stand at regular intervals as intriguing concrete houses. They were made as group shelters, between February and May 1940, commissioned by the Dutch State. The German occupying forces expanded the support base with bunkers to defend the bridges over the Hollands Diep.
Bunkerday in Dordrecht
In Dordrecht you can visit the men's bunker, which is set up as a museum with a collection of items from the war. You ziet how the men stayed in this bunker., for example in the small beds. A little further down the Rijkswaterstraatweg you will find Group shelter Type P, a Dutch military structure. This group shelter provided space for 8 to 10 soldiers. An impressive mini documentary is shown here telling the story of a former Willemsdorp resident who experienced the May 1940 airborne landings as a young boy.
The entire program can be viewed at www.bunkerdag.nl
Tickets are available online and on the day at the various bunker locations.
