---
title: "Liberation of Camp Westerbork NL"
description: "Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre gives meaning to the historical site of Camp Westerbork in an active and dynamic way."
url: "https://www.normandy1944.info/blog/liberation-of-camp-westerbork-nl"
date: "2026-07-08T02:26:51+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  Liberation of Camp Westerbork NL

 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/Holocaust/Westerbork/D-day-normandy-beyond-Westerbork-005.jpg)Mainstreet called Boulevard des Misères

 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/Holocaust/Westerbork/D-day-normandy-beyond-Westerbork-003.jpg)Westerbork even had healthcare

 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/Holocaust/Westerbork/D-day-normandy-beyond-Westerbork-006.jpg)But there was always a train to ....

 [](#) [](#)

On April 12, 1945, the Canadian army freed 876 Jewish prisoners in camp Westerbork. To the cry: "**The Tommy's are here!**", everyone rushed out to catch up with the liberators. Many jumped on top of the tanks and rode victorious over the 'Boulevard des Misères'.

The official liberation of the Netherlands on 5 May was celebrated by the camp residents in the villa of Gemmeker. For the time being, the 876 Jews still had to stay in the camp. The whole of the Netherlands had not yet been liberated.

Fighting continued further north. In addition, the risk of contagious diseases was high. First, all camp residents had to be medically examined. And, safety first, the Canadians wanted absolute certainty that no traitors were running free.

Between 1942 and 1945, 107.000 Jews were deported to the East from the Netherlands, mostly via Westerbork. In addition 245 Sinti and Roma and a few dozen resistance fighters. In total only 5.000 people returned.

Copyright: Westerbork

---

 Additional info

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 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/blog/2021/logo-min.png)

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 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/blog/2021/d-day-normandy-beyond-blog-westerbork.jpg)Westerbork main street

 [ Visit the website or page ](https://kampwesterbork.nl/en/ "Liberation of Camp Westerbork NL")

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Post has been read: 4262 times

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Published on: 11 April 2021

##  Personal view or conclusion on this post

Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre gives meaning to the historical site of Camp Westerbork in an active and dynamic way. They focus on how every single story of life contributes to one big picture on the Holocaust: Camp Westerbork is the story of 102.000 times the murder of one human being. Visit it when you can

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