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- Emigrated to New Zealand in 1957 as a single man at the age of 28.
Past occupation: farmer.
Returned to Jelsum (Friesland) in ~1986.
Dutch history. Enemy behind the front door by Dirk Oostenbrug.
The parents of Dirk Oostenbrug (born in 1928) had a farm near an airport, used by the Germans during the German occupation of the Netherlands as military air base. There was also a barrack near the farm where German soldiers were housed. For a short while these soldiers came to the farm and joined dinners with Dirk's family.
At first, Dirk thought it a bit odd, that those soldiers were at their table, but then he got used to it. In Spring of 1945 a German soldier was quartered at their home for six weeks. That soldier had to take care of the horses, which had been requisitioned from the farmers in the neighborhood and were housed in the Oostenbrug's farm stable. The soldier was a somewhat older man who was completely opposed to Hitler and his policies.
Dirk thought that the Germans in and around the house were very nice and he was not afraid of them. Moreover, he had the idea that the soldiers only fought in the Second World War because they were forced to do so as conscripts. Dirk also thought that the soldier, who was stationed at their home, could not be blamed for the war
Source: Center for Global Education. Article in Dutch:
www.cmo.nl/erfgoed-vob/index.php/geschiedenis/vijand-achter-de-voordeur/bron-5-dirk-oostenbrug
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1928 - (97 years)
Siblings
d. 3 Nov 1990, Jelsum, Friesland, Netherlands 