Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands

WESTERBORK

Village in the provinceof Drenthewhere the Dutch governmentbuilt a center for refugees from Nazi Germany(mostly Jews) in 1939. During World War II, the German occupation au thorities dramatically changed the character of the center into a con centration camp in transit to the extermination camps. In 1983, a cen ter for the commemoration and documentation of the persecution of the Jews was established there.