Bergerhof

Bergerhof, a small neighborhood between Bergermeer lake and Alkmaar station, was built during World War II to house evacuees from Den Helder. The city had been severely affected by bombing, particularly due to its naval base and location on the Marsdiep canal. Following the German capitulation on May 14, 1940, a period of intense violence began in Den Helder, with heavy air raids in May and June. The subsequent evacuation scattered thousands of residents across North Holland.

In Alkmaar, Bergerhof received the green light for construction in September 1941, and the houses were completed by 1942. The first residents were refugees from Helden, leading the neighborhood to quickly become known as the "Heldersebuurt." What began as emergency shelters on the outskirts of the city grew into a lasting piece of Alkmaar's history.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: TracesofWar
• Museum Alkmaar 40-45