{"id":24390,"date":"2026-05-27T21:43:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T19:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denhelder.online\/?page_id=24390"},"modified":"2026-05-27T21:44:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T19:44:51","slug":"may-4-speech-by-the-mayor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/denhelder.online\/en\/herdenkenenvieren\/4-mei-toespraak-burgemeester\/","title":{"rendered":"May 4 speech by the mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mayor's speech at commemoration of war victims<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mayor Jan de Boer delivered this speech at the Den Vaderlant Ghetrouwe monument on May 4, the day of the national commemoration of war victims.

<\/em><\/p>

On May 10, 1940, I woke up at four o'clock already. What was that? I heard a tremendous rumbling and gunfire. Frightened, I jumped out of bed and looked out the window. What I saw there, I will never forget in my life. I saw smoke and fire everywhere; a plane was falling down in flames. While I stood looking for a moment, my father rushed into my little room. \u201cCome downstairs quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks like there is a war!\u201d<\/p>

This quote comes from a book I received on March 19th. The book \u2013 titled 'In Fear and Exile' \u2013 is about the many people who had to flee from Den Helder and tells their stories. It seems that war is on\u2026 What touched me was how suddenly disaster struck for some. Nowadays, that is difficult to imagine, because we now know that May 1940 had a long lead-up and that there were many warning signs. The time that followed changed our city and our country forever.<\/p>

Today, May 4, 2026, we commemorate all \u2013 civilians and military personnel \u2013 who died or were murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or elsewhere during the Second World War, the colonial war in Indonesia, or in war situations and peacekeeping operations thereafter.<\/p>

Heavy sacrifices were made. Yet the suffering affected not only those who lost their lives. Thousands of inhabitants lived in fear and exile. They feared the bombs falling from the sky. Sooner or later, many fellow townspeople chose a safe place elsewhere. Others remained until they were forced to leave.<\/p>

The population dropped unprecedentedly sharply: from 37,000 to 7,000. Den Helder became a ghost town. Where do you go when, at first, all you know is where you cannot be? Some could find refuge with family or friends, but not everyone.<\/p>

A special committee was established for the Helderse refugees, with the primary task of providing housing. Or rather, housing... initially, they were often glorified chicken coops, as reported in an article in the Noordhollands Dagblad. But eventually, serious plans emerged. For instance, a 'Heldersche neighborhood' was created in Egmond-Binnen. After eighty years, the houses are still standing. Although it remains unclear whether anyone from Den Helder ever lived there.<\/p>

The chestnut trees of yesteryear took deep roots and grew large. Yet the world of today cannot be compared to the world of the past. Or can it? What kind of world do we live in now? Are we sufficiently aware of this, or will we view the world we live in now from a completely different perspective in eighty years? Are we responding decisively to the signals that are present?<\/p>

As mayor of this municipality, my answer to that is: yes. Hard work is being done both publicly and behind the scenes to prepare ourselves for emergencies that have seemed so far away for so long. But is it enough? With current international tensions, there are increased risks and security is under pressure; the spread of disinformation, election interference, and sabotage of offshore cables are commonplace.<\/p>

The threat has not been this great in 80 years. In the Netherlands, the goal is for people to be able to fend for themselves for 72 hours. That means having food and drink at home that can be stored for a long time, an emergency radio, medication if necessary, and anything else you might need. If the past has taught us anything, it is that disaster sometimes befalls and catches people off guard, even if the threat has been present for some time.<\/p><\/div>

Eighty-five years ago, Jaap Dunselman and his family experienced a sudden panic breaking out in late May, early June\u2014about a month after the start of the war. Mother filled the pram with clothes and took the children with her. When the danger had passed, Father came to pick them up by car. At the end of June, the family fled after all and ended up in 't Zand. They slept with 19 people in the attic of a farmhouse. The family eventually returned to Den Helder. The bombs remained frightening, but a sense of desensitization also set in. However, such a situation should not become a habit for anyone.<\/p>

That is why we commemorate this evening. To realize what is at stake. To look back, but also to look forward. We cannot predict the future; we can, however, prepare ourselves. Let us be alert to what is happening in the world, but also close to home. And let us, each in our own way, contribute to a society in which freedom and safety are not the exception, but the norm.<\/p>

Lest we forget.<\/p>



<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Toespraak burgemeester bij herdenking oorlogsslachtoffers Burgemeester Jan de Boer hield op 4 mei, de dag van de nationale herdenking van oorlogsslachtoffers, deze toespraak bij het monument Den Vaderlant Ghetrouwe. 10 mei 1940 werd ik om vier uur al wakker, wat was dat? Ik hoorde een gerommel en geschiet van jewelste. Angstig sprong ik uit bed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":22421,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"doelgroep":[6027,6028,6029],"categorie":[],"class_list":["post-24390","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","doelgroep-inwoner","doelgroep-inwoner-regio","doelgroep-toerist"],"yoast_head":"\n4 mei toespraak burgemeester - Den Helder Online - Beleef Den Helder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/denhelder.online\/en\/commemorate-and-celebrate\/may-4-speech-by-the-mayor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 mei toespraak burgemeester\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Toespraak burgemeester bij herdenking oorlogsslachtoffers Burgemeester Jan de Boer hield op 4 mei, de dag van de nationale herdenking van oorlogsslachtoffers, deze toespraak bij het monument Den Vaderlant Ghetrouwe. 10 mei 1940 werd ik om vier uur al wakker, wat was dat? 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