Past Pursuits - Episode #1 - Camp Westerbork

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Camp Westerbork was originally established by the Dutch government in 1939 as the Central Refugee Camp Westerbork, intended to house Jewish refugees from Germany who had already been admitted to the Netherlands. The camp was designed as a temporary shelter while they awaited resettlement. Little did anyone know the harrowing destiny that lay ahead.

Just over two years into the German occupation of the Netherlands, on July 1, 1942, the Nazis assumed control of Camp Westerbork. It was during this grim transition that the camp took on a new role as a transit camp. This marked a turning point in the camp's history, as it became a crucial link in the chain of deportations to concentration camps.