Little water level house (Peilschaalhuisje) at Hindeloopen
Hindeloopen
The little water level house at Hindeloopen looks as if it has always been there. But it was gone for several decades. In 2016, a replica of the little water level house was rebuilt on the original foundations.
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Visrestaurant Sudersee - fresh fish and stories
Visrestaurant Sudersee - fresh fish and stories
The little water level house at Hindeloopen looks as if it has always been there. But it was gone for several decades. It stands near the church, on the corner of the dike that protects Hindeloopen from the water. Like the lifeguard station that was originally built in 1911, the lock, the lock keepers cottage, the communal bench, the green and white arched bridges, and the cottages in Kalverstraat and Oude Weide, the little water level house has been beautifully restored and looks as good as new. The people of this city know a thing or two about respecting and restoring old structures. They have also brought back old structures.
In 2016, a replica of the little water level house was rebuilt on the original foundations. From 1886 onwards, a system of horizontal and vertical tubes, a float, metal wire, a stylus and a roll of paper in this little house automatically recorded the water level of the Zuiderzee. At one time there were many of these little houses along the shore of the Zuiderzee. The Afsluitdijk completed in 1932 shut out the tides and removed the need for them.
Here you will find Little water level house (Peilschaalhuisje) at Hindeloopen
Peilschaalhuisje HindeloopenDijkweg 1
8713 KD Hindeloopen Plan your route
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The liberation of Friesland 1
The liberation of Friesland 1
In early April, it became clear that the liberation of Friesland was imminent. Although the province had not suffered a real Hunger Winter like other parts of the Netherlands, there were severe shortages of just about everything. And the terror of the occupying forces was growing. This also led to increased resistance against the occupying forces. The battle between the two was tougher than ever in early 1945. Â
In Friesland, assault groups known as Knokploegen (KP) were responsible for most acts of resistance. But there were other groups too. On the orders of the Dutch government in London, all these groups were merged into the Dutch Domestic Armed Forces (NBS). In Friesland, this happened on 12 December 1944.Â
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The NBS, popularly referred to as the BS, gave the armed resistance an organisation with a clear structure. The NBS was also supposed to play a role in the upcoming liberation. To this end, resistance groups were provided with weapons from autumn 1944. These were dropped from the air. Â
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On 8 April, Radio Orange broadcast the message "The bottle is empty." This was the signal for the NBS to start carrying out sabotage operations 36 hours later. The aim was to make it as difficult as possible for the Germans to defend themselves against the approaching Allied forces.Â
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The resistance did this by putting bridges and railways out of order, blocking waterways and blocking roads. The response of the occupying forces was ruthless. In retaliation, dozens more prisoners were shot at different times and places. ÂOnce the Canadians entered Friesland on 12 April, they were supported extremely effectively by the Frisian resistance. Because it was superbly organised, they were able to help the Canadians take control of important bridges, repair damaged bridges, and advise on the most favourable route. Â
By 18 April, the whole province was liberated except for the Wadden Islands (these were liberated in late May and in June). Compared to other provinces, there was little fighting in Friesland. Overall, the few thousand German troops who had been unable to flee Friesland were defeated by the Canadians relatively quickly. Â
The commander of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Landell, praised the actions of the resistance by stating "Friesland liberated herself." While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the actions of the Frisian resistance undoubtedly accelerated the liberation. And reduced the number of casualties on the Allied side. Â
In confrontations with German troops and their Dutch accomplices, at least 31 resistance fighters lost their lives. On the Allied side, at least eleven Canadians and one Frenchman were killed. The fighting and shelling also resulted in dozens of civilian casualties. The number of casualties on the German side is not known, but probably ran into the hundreds. With 320 houses destroyed and 4,000 damaged and 80 bridges destroyed, Friesland was materially the least damaged province in the Netherlands.Â
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Fries Landbouwmuseum (Frisian Agricultural Museum)
Fries Landbouwmuseum (Frisian Agricultural Museum)
