This 4-days exchange program will offer young history enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the history of persecution and concentration camps in the Northern Netherlands and Northern Germany. Following the former Westerbork-Bergen-Belsen route within the Nazi camps network, participants will visit Memorial Centre Kamp Westerbork, Memorial Esterwegen, Bergen-Belsen Memorial and the Gestapo cellar in Osnabrück.
As the exchange travels cross border from the Netherlands to Germany – places marked by war, occupation, resistance, deportation and post-war transformation – participants will gain invaluable insights into the war’s legacy. As a group the participants will not only learn about the past but also think about the meaning of remembrance today.
On the first day of the exchange, participants will begin exploring Westerbork Memorial, in the Netherlands. The program will consist of a self-guided tour of the museum exhibition and a guided tour of the camp area. The day will end with an overnight stay in the lively city of Groningen.
On the second day, the exchange program brings participants to cross into Germany and visit the Memorial site Esterwegen. The program will end with an overnight stay in the old town of Bremen.
On the third day, participants will be given the opportunity to deepen their discovery of the history of Nazi camps and deportation by visiting the Bergen-Belsen memorial. The group will end the day with an overnight stay in Hannover.
On the final day, participants will travel back West reaching the city of Osnabruck, with a visit of the Gestapo cellar and Augusta shaft memorials. In the afternoon, the exchange will conclude with departures.
