The destruction of the Netherlands during WW-II in color, Part-3: Rotterdam and its harbour (1945)
In contrast to Rotterdam's city center, Europe's largest port had fallen into German hands with limited damage. The shipyards also suffered virtually no damage and were soon visited by German specialists. Most shipyard managers anticipated that the Germans would win the war and expeditiously concluded contracts with them. These contracts included building and converting ships and dismantling Dutch naval vessels that had not been able to escape to England. All this was done at German expense. Also important suppliers to the yards decided to side with the German forces. Rotterdam's harbour in fact became a German naval base.
Germany would pay all bills properly in the coming years and stated they would honour the contracts. However, the Netherlands had to pay occupation tax to the Germans, so in effect the Dutch taxpayer indirectly paid for the military and maritime acquisitions of the occupier.
During the course of the war, Rotterdam and the region functioned as an ore transshipment port for the German arms industry in the Ruhr area, as a base for the Kriegsmarine and especially as a supplier of warships. More than 800 ships were built in the Netherlands on German behalf. Furthermore, another 2,000 existing ships were converted for war purposes. Rotterdam made a significant contribution to this.
In the first years of the war, Rotterdam's economy revived. Good money was made from the occupier. Especially by the shipyards, which were not just in survival mode. As early as in October 1941 the RAF started bombing the harbour.
In the second half of the occupation period, Rotterdam more intensively started to pay the tolls for cooperating with the occupying forces.
as it increasingly became the target of Allied bombings, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to residential areas.
In that respect the so called "Forgotten bombing" should be mentioned, whereby on 31 maart 1943 allied American bombers left Britain to bomb Rotterdam's harbour. Similar to the accidental bombing of The Hague's Bezuidenhout quarters, the American airforce misjudged the bombing target and in stead dropped 70 heavy bombs on the Bospolder-Tussendijken quarters in West Rotterdam, killing 325 people and destroying many homes.
The work on the shipyards and in the port became increasingly risky and was also paid less. Working hours were extended and the threat of being put to work in Germany continued to hang over the workers' heads. The port of Rotterdam increasingly became a fortress due to German defenses, which limited the freedom of movement of the residents. In addition, more and more public buildings such as schools and hospitals were requisitioned and put into use by the occupying forces.
From September 1944, as the allies were starting to approach, there were tactical air raids by Spitfires and Typhoon fighter-bombers. These were aimed, among other things, at ship targets and launchers for V-weapons in Vlaardingen, Pernis and Hoek van Holland. A number of bombings were spectacular successes, but there were also large-scale bombings with little effect.
When the Allies continued to advance towards the Netherlands in 1944, the Germans in Rotterdam and the surrounding area began to requisition material and transport it to the east. This happened on such a large scale that it could safely be called robbery.
Later that year, much of the port was destroyed by the Germans to prevent the Allies from using the facilities.
The destruction seen in this film is actually the collective result of the allied attacks and the German sabottage as well as merchant ships having been taken out of service at the beginning of the war and subsequently left to rust. Some damage was also caused by small scale sabotage by the Dutch resistance during the war, but its impact was insignificant.
Rotterdam harbour's WW-II history ends on May 5, 1945 when the first English ships with food moored at the Lloydkade.
After the war the Dutch proactively started to restore the damage of the Rotterdam harbour. It took less than 5 years before the harbour was back to its pre-war strength and efficiency.
After afore mentioned bombing on 14th of May 1940, the demolition of the center was a temporary low point for Rotterdam, which found itself in a deep economic dip due to the absence of the pre war merchant navy and passenger ships.
On top of the already high unemployment, there were now 80,000 homeless people and many hundreds of destroyed businesses. About two years later Rotterdam's economy started to flourish again.
These images give an idea of what Rotterdam looked like during the war as seen from the water. Here on the right in the distance you can see the famous Witte Huis, one of Rotterdam's first high rise buildings that survived the bombing.
This part-3 ends with rare, stunningly enhanced and colorized footage of one of Rotterdam's destroyed stations: Delftsche Poort.
Music: Trevor Kowalski
Source: Beeld En Geluid & Gem. Archief Den Haag.
Пікірлер: 42
*Parts 1 to 3 are now on my channel; Part 4 will be uploaded soon* .
You've done incredible restorative work with this series! This clarity and colorization (vs b&w) creates such a deep, almost hypnotic level of emersion in time. 🙏🏾
These videos are fantastic. Thank you for taking the time to share them with us. Hartstikke bedankt!
Another great historical video that is well presented of the destruction to the port, thanks for sharing. Cheers and stay safe
All footage in this video are just stunning, i am sure this is down to hard work and a commitment to history. well worth the watching thank you.
Wonderful footage. Thank you for showing this and keeping history alive.
Bedankt voor je werk hier. Geweldige beelden, triest, maar mooi om de Nederlandse geest in de ogen van de mannen te zien. Dat nuchter, praktische "wij krijgen het voor elkaar" houding. ❤
Mooie serie meneer 👍🏻 ga zo door zou ik zeggen
was een tijdje niet geweest , enorm dankbaar voor deze videos
The Dutch are still the world’s best maritime salvage specialists💪🏻👍🏻
Erg mooie video weer, prachtig gedaan, dank je
Vreemd, ik wilde wat toevoegen maar mijn commentaar was verdwenen, dan maar opnieuw 🙂 Bedankt voor weer een geweldige film.
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
Dank je wel. Misschien een minder gepast woord gebruikt? Er draait een lange lijst met geblokkeerde woorden op dit kanaal....
@pa4tim
7 ай бұрын
@@Rick88888888 Vreemd, ik typte het nog een keer en weer weg. Ging gewoon over de restauratie van een radio met granaatschade die ik heb gedaan, die radio (en de eigenaar) had het bombardement van Rotterdam meegemaakt en was sinds de oorlog niet meer gebruikt. Dat was een mooi stukje geschiedenis.
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
KZread heeft some rare gedragingen. Je bent overigens niet in de "held for review" geblokkeerde comments lijst terechtgekomen.
Prachtige, ingrijpende beelden, Rick! Erg mooi bewerkt.
It's sad to see what happened to such a beautiful country all those years ago thank God they were liberated and they survived the war.
I'm so impressed with the quality of the filming. Question; who did the original filming ? If it was the dutch, how did they aquire so much quality film ? If German cameramen filmed it, why would they record the destruction ?
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
The makers (multiple) are unknown (to me). The A.I. has made all the difference with the quality. The B&W originals are just average in quality.
prachtige bijdrage aan Nederlandse geschiedschrijving. Dank!
Erg mooie vlogs Rick, prachtige beelden, mooie muziek, en goede uitleg. Ik verheug me op deel 4!
Wederom een goed onderbouwde, indrukwekkende video.
What terrible destruction! I don't know how that generation of people could even contemplate the task of cleaning things up, let alone the prospect of re-building. But they did it.
Erg prachtige beelden. dankje
Tot nu toe een prachtige, en soms onthullende, trilogie!
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
Dank je wel
Thank you once again Rick.
Rick I am now 81 as a child I visit Holland many times ,I will never forget seeing Rotterdam flattened by the bombing , Also the marks on the wall by a canal , where the Nazi ‘s shot students as a reprisal because an Wehrmacht Officer had been found in the canal that morning ! My Aunt told me how they at tulip bulbs ,dogs and cats because they were starving
Wat een verwoesting, maar Rotterdam is er boven op gekomen.
@TheFreshestLyrics
7 ай бұрын
Tegenwoordig zijn er meer explosies dan in de oorlog.
Je stem lijkt volgens mij heel erg op die van Wim Kok ;)
Wordt je weer stil van...
Indrukwekkend. Zeker als je geboren en getogen bent in Rotterdam, je ziet deze beelden in kleur, je herkent de gespaarde stukken, dan komt dat bombardement toch dichtbij. Ook als je 49 jaar na het bombardement geboren bent. Als kind de jaren 90 was het nog zichtbaar. Overal werd gebouwd. Ik heb de Kop van Zuid nog kaal gezien vanaf de 1989. Een paar ouwe loodsen, een terminal en het Holland Amerika gebouw. Dat was het. Pas in 94 gingen daar de eerste heipalen van het Gerechtsgebouw er in. De Kuip kreeg toen z'n glazen badrand. En rond die tijd heb ik ook de Erasmusbrug op z'n plek geschoven zien worden. De Delftse Poort heb ik niet bewust meegemaakt, maar het Weena kan ik me nog met bouwkranen herinneren. Bijna elke moderne toren en wolkenkrabber heb ik zien groeien. Het blijft eeuwig indrukwekkend om Rotterdam vanaf hier de hoogte in te hebben zien gaan. De stad is in heel mijn leven geen dag hetzelfde geweest. Echt sterker door strijd!
I remember my grandfather saying when the Germans bombed the English ducked ,when the English bombed the Germans ducked but when the Americans bombed everyone ducked
@pa4tim
7 ай бұрын
Most bomber crew were very young man, without (much) experience. The survival rate also was very low . Those planes were very loud, freezing cold an without any comfort. They were often sitting ducks. Navigation equipment was primitive. There are f.i. some German fighter planes that fell in British hands because the pilots landed in Britain, thinking they landed in France. If visibility was bad, it was very easy to make a mistake. Everything goes pretty quick. It is very sad mistakes costed the lives of civilians and I am sure it will have caused nightmares for the rest of their lives from the crews involved. but I understand the cause, and we may never forget those kids up there, risked their lives, day in day out, for the freedom of our country. (I'm Dutch)
@MrDaiseymay
7 ай бұрын
Very well said. Britains Bomber Command organisation, that keeps all records of missions , etc. Has a memorial to their dead, which also includes Ground staff of all kinds, and even canteen staff. who were also killed in reprisal attacks on Bomber bases. The Current total dead, is over 55,000. It includes my half brother, who was killed on the last bombing raid on Germany 3rd May 1945, 5 days from wars end. He had joined the RAF in 1940, aged 18. @@pa4tim
@kristensorensen2219
7 ай бұрын
My dad was in Denmark when it was invaded by the German military. He fought with the resistance and was nearly caught by the SS. He escaped to Sweden. What was done by the Germans was a horror!
It would all be hi viz now
Desde Argentina . Supongo que el puerto de Rotterdam no fue destruido a propósito para poderlo utilizar luego de la invasión . La ciudad sí ... como advertencia
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
Wrong! Didn't you listen to the spoken commentary?
@manoloblasco473
7 ай бұрын
Y don´t speak english .. but thank you @@Rick88888888
@Rick88888888
7 ай бұрын
@@manoloblasco473 You can create and switch on Spanish CC captions on KZread