Memorial Executions 22 January 1945

This monument by the Hungarian artist Gelenscer has been placed at this location on the Woudweg in Dokkum in memory of that terrible Monday, January 22, 1945. Then 20 prisoners from prisons from Leeuwarden and Groningen were brought to Dokkum by the Germans and shot there.

It was the largest mass execution in Friesland in World War II. The execution was a German reprisal measure for a liberation action by the Resistance on a prisoner transport near the nearby village of Valom, a few days earlier. Two Germans were killed.

9 men came from Leeuwarden and 11 from Groningen. Among the 9 from Leeuwarden were a number of resistance fighters from Northeast Friesland (directly or indirectly annexed to the liberation action on De Valom). 11 men from Groningen, most of whom were members of the left-wing resistance group 'De Groot'. All these persons can be regarded as candidate candidates. To get to the number of 20, there were 3 more Jews, including the Hungarian Adler. That was a matter of 'wrong time and wrong place' - then arrested and taken out of jail to complete 20.

The names of the victims and their dates of birth are listed on the two name plates near the concrete monument.

The names of the victims:
D. Adler (Hungary)
H. Blaauw
H. Boersema
J.W. Bukers
J. van Dijken
J. Dursma
A. Frensdorf
HI. van Gelder
A. Heijdenrijk
L. Hulshoff
H.F.W. Krohne
H Krolis
H Lommert
E. Meinsma
W. Moorman
G. Postma
J. Ruins
A.E. Sachs
F Walters
H. Woldring