Lezing met Documentaire ‘Razzia in Rotterdam’

We will show the documentary of 'Andere Tijden' about the raid of Rotterdam and the creation of the monument on the Parkkade in Rotterdam. The Razzia Monument Rotterdam Foundation realized the memorial in 2023. In the lecture, René Versluis, chairman of this foundation, will discuss his personal history as the son of one of the deported men. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to talk.

Driven together

On the evening of 9 November 1944, 8,000 German soldiers occupied bridges and squares and cut off telephone traffic. On 10 and 11 November, the men from Schiedam and Rotterdam were herded together from street to street and from house to house in a number of assembly points in the city, such as De Kuip and the Belastinggebouw. 17-year-old Piet Laban had to go along and remembers the breathtaking silence in the stadium. No one knows where they will go and whether they will ever return home.

Escape attempts

The rounded-up men are taken away on foot, by boat or by train. At Haarlem station and Wezep a number of them manage to escape, but others are shot dead during their attempt. Most of them go to Germany and work there as forced laborers. More than 500 of them do not survive.

Monument

The Razzia Monument Rotterdam is intended to ensure that the story of the raid is not forgotten. It was unveiled on 10 November 2023. Reason for Andere Tijden to look back on this tragedy with the last living men and the children who were left without a father.