The Dutch railways were essential to the Nazis, not only as the transport of Jews and others eastwards to the camps but also as a propaganda tool.
During the pre-war crisis years, the Netherlands welcomed many malnourished Austrian children. Reichskommissar Seyss-Inquart, himself an Austrian, thought he should show gratitude for this. The Nazis, therefore, organized so-called children send-off to Ostmark (Austria) in the summer of 1940. This was done under the guise of charity, but, in fact, it was a transparent propaganda stunt. During the occupation, various children send-offs were also organized by the NVV, Dutch Federation of Trade Unions (which was controlled by the Nazis at that point) and the Nederlandsche Volksdienst (NVD, Dutch People’s Service, was regulated by the Nazis).
“Rotterdam. This morning the second special children’s train, this time filled with small Rotterdam children, of the D.P. (Delftsche Poort) station to Ostmark, where the children will have a wonderful holiday. The Reichskommissar for the occupied territory in the Netherlands, Dr Seyss Inquart, was personally present to see his hundreds of little guests off.
The climax, however, was when the Reichskommissar personally appeared on the platform, followed by numerous German authorities, to say goodbye. The Reichskommissar reads the names of his youthful guests from the cards that all the children have around their necks. [In the above photograph], behind the State Commissioner is the mayor of Rotterdam.”
That is how the journeys were sold to the Dutch population.
On those same tracks, dozens of trains would have travelled East via Westerbork—not with children in comfortable coaches but in cattle cars—sent to their deaths. Two different realities.
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