De razzia van Rotterdam. 10-11 november 1944 - KNAW

SUMMARY 267
BACKGROUND OF THE RAZZIA
Rotterdam, second biggest town of Holland suffered many blows during the German
occupation. On May 14, 1940, the city was heavily bombed by the Germans.
Over a thousand people were killed, seventy thousand dwellings were destroyed and
the town’s centre area was razed to the ground.
Fighting had been expected by the population, but not this form of murder. With
these outrageous attack on the defenceless city the people realised that the Germans
would refrain from nothing if their victory was endangered. This lesson was rubbed
into them every day by the ruins and the empty spaces of their own town. Thus, the
bombing of Rotterdam had important psychological consequences. It was clear that
any resistance would be mercilessly crushed. This was the basis for successful German
terror.
In August 1942 after an attempt to blow up a German train five hostages, three
of them citizens of Rotterdam, were shot by the Germans. When during the last days
of April 1943 large-scale strikes occurred throughout the Netherlands, many German
troops were concentrated in Rotterdam. Clearly the Germans attached particular
value to the prevention of unrest in this town which had been made an important
base for the German navy. For this reason Rotterdam was bombed regularly by the
Allied Air Forces. Up to November 1944 21 Allied air attacks had been carried out
in which about 750 people lost their lives. By the end of October 1944 about one
sixth of the population had lost their homes.
When the German armies made their quick withdrawal in western Europe in
September 1944 the harbour installations of Rotterdam were destroyed in order to
prevent them being used by the Allied armies. This destruction took place on
September 25, 26, 27. It had a most depressing influence on the population. People
saw the basis of their existence disappear in smoke and ruins. In the part of the
town nearest the harbour a further five thousand people lost their homes. German
terror increased in ferocity. Shootings took place, several houses were burned down.
The military situation did offer no hope of a speedy liberation. This was doubly
disappointing as in the first week of September liberation had seemed at hand. When
the city was silent people could hear the guns firing in the southsrn province of North
Brabant. It was clear however that the Germans were effectively delaying the advance
of the Allied troops.
When these troops were fighting in France and Belgium they had received important
assistance from the underground organisations. On September 5, 1944, “Crazy
Tuesday”, when the people of Holland believed liberation to be imminent, many
anti-German demonstrations had taken place. The Germans had no illusions as to
what would happen if the population could act in cooperation with the Allied armies
and the resistance movement which was believed to have received considerable
supplies of arms. On September 4, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied
Supreme Commander, had called upon the people of Rotterdam to prevent the