Dutch Labour Service Camp Nuis

After the capitulation of our country, the Germans set up a reconstruction service. Initially, Dutch officers were at the head. The first was Major J.H. Breunese. He was known as the organizer of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches and had a good reputation among the Dutch. He resigned on August 1, 1941. He opposed the introduction of the Hitler salute in the NAD camps. When the Germans understood that the Dutch workers would not contribute to the construction of the German army, the organization was called the Dutch Labor Service (N.A.D.).

In July 1941, the Government Buildings Agency rented a piece of land from the Kimm family and on July 21, the mayor of Marum was informed that a camp would be set up there by the Dutch Labor Service. Barracks were built.

The first labourers, as they were called, came there voluntarily, they worked for room and board and pocket money. In addition, they were exempted from posting to Germany. They were used, among other things, for the reparcelling projects around Lucaswolde. Gradually, the Dutch commanders were replaced by pro-German commanders.
After the invasion, the labor service was used to make defenses. Anti-aircraft guns were placed in the Coendersbos and machine gun nests were built near the camp. The intention was to house German prisoners there. However, the Dutch soldiers were needed at the front and NSB refugees from Arnhem and Limburg were housed instead of Germans.

Nuis was liberated on April 15, 1945. After that, the NSB members were relieved by captured collaborators, who were held in very bad conditions by the Domestic Forces (BS). The situation was so bad that some BSs ran away, wondering if this was why they had been in the resistance.

In 1948 it was converted into an annex of the youth prison of Veenhuizen, where a number of SS men were also housed, this time under better conditions.
The most famous SS men were Mooyman and Paul van Tienen.
In 1951 they were succeeded by 250 Ambonese refugees (families of KNIL soldiers), who stayed there until 1964, when the last Ambonese moved to homes in Marum, Drachten, Hoogkerk and Groningen and the camp was closed.
Everything was demolished and nothing reminds of the camp anymore.

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Source

• Text: Bert Deelman
• Photos: Bert Deelman
• Wikipedia Kamp Nuis