Nieuwlande combines the story of its origins with the themes of hiding and resistance. In the second half of the 19th century, peat workers settled near the intersection of the Oostopgaande and Dwarsgat canals. There are several ways to explore the area: the De Duikelaar Museum, a hiding place from the Second World War visible in the woods, and local memorials. You can focus on the museum and its collection, or also include the historic sites and the village’s history.

Wartime history at the De Duikelaar Museum

The De Duikelaar Museum offers a picture of the war and the dilemmas associated with it. The collection, which comes from Jo Schonewille’s former museum, includes numerous photographs, newspapers, leaflets, posters and books about the history of people in hiding and the practice of hiding in the village of Nieuwlande. Together, these varied materials draw attention both to historical accounts and to the local history of hiding. The museum also has exhibitions and secret hiding places where you can listen to Radio Oranje. The collection, exhibitions and listening points each offer a different perspective on the subject. If you are particularly interested in the history of hiding, a visit to the museum connects this theme with the history of Nieuwlande.

A hiding place in the woods and how to reach it

A hiding place from the Second World War can be seen in the woods of Nieuwlande. In 2014, the 43rd Mechanized Brigade of the Johannes Post Barracks in Havelte restored the hiding place and made it more visible to the public. The entrance is on Johannes Poststraat, between house numbers 14 and 16. From the parking area, a narrow forest path leads over a small bridge for about 200 metres to the hiding place. If you include this site in your plans, the street address and route description will help you find your way. Alongside the museum’s content, the restored hiding place offers a tangible historic site in the woods of Nieuwlande.

Memorial sites and Johannes Post

Nieuwlande was home to Johannes Post, who became one of the most important Dutch resistance fighters. Johannes Post was among those who stayed at the Onderduikershol. The war memorial in Nieuwlande is a memorial stone made of black natural stone. It commemorates six local residents who lost their lives fighting the occupying forces. Nieuwlande received the Yad Vashem Award in 1985, recognising its residents as “Righteous Among the Nations”. The memorials highlight different aspects: the monument commemorates six individual residents, while the award recognises the people of Nieuwlande.

Traces of the village’s origins and routes

A few farms dating from the village’s early years still stand on Johannes Poststraat and Brugstraat. Together with the settlement of peat workers in the 19th century, they point to Nieuwlande’s early development; the memorial sites add the history of resistance to this picture.

For a walk, the 6.3-kilometre Cultuurpad Coevorden: Dalerpeel – Nieuwlande ends at Oostopgaande in Nieuwlande. The signposted Ten Villages cycling route passes through the village. The difference between the two activities is clear: the walking route has a specified length and endpoint, while the cycling route is described as passing through Nieuwlande. This gives you both a walking route with a stated distance and a signposted cycling route in the village.

Discover more destinations: Pesse, Hoogeveen, Stuifzand, Nieuweroord, Hollandscheveld, Elim, Fluitenberg, Tiendeveen.

Back to the main travel overview: Hoogeveen.