Vught, Sint-Michielsgestel, Haaren

Camp Vught is known to most people. Less known is that before Camp Vught came into use in January 1943, two other camps already existed south of Den Bosch: camp Sint-Michielsgestel and camp Haaren. The two camps are only ten kilometres apart as the crow flies and have a special history. In both camps hundreds of Dutch men were held hostage by the German occupiers.

The hostages were not chosen at random. These men were the elite of the Netherlands. They all held important positions as politicians, professors, clergy, musicians, lawyers or writers. The Germans considered this elite group a form of collateral. As long as the Dutch population behaved, nothing would happen to them. But if rebellion or resistance arose, the Germans would carry out reprisals and execute hostages.

The first group of 460 well-known Dutchmen was arrested on 4 May 1942 and held hostage for years in the Kleinseminarie Beekvliet in Sint-Michielsgestel. Among them were Willem Banning, Jan Donner and Frans Wijffels.

A second group of 600 influential Dutchmen followed two months later and was imprisoned and held hostage in the Grootseminarie Haarendael, which had already been in use as Camp Haaren since September 1941.

In both so-called internment camps, the hostages got to know each other well. A strong sense of solidarity developed, which was later referred to as the ‘spirit of Gestel’. Partly as a result of the discussions held among the hostages in Sint-Michielsgestel, the PvdA was founded shortly after the war.

This cycle route takes you past both hostage camps as well as past concentration camp Vught.