Memorial Executions 12 March 1945

The monument "The Fallen Hornblower" in the Weteringplantsoen in Amsterdam is a reminder of 30 political prisoners who were executed here on 12 March 1945 by the Germans in reprisal. This Monument is a gift from the Heineken Brewery.

On March 9, 1945, the Sicherheitsdienst raided a building on Amsterdam's Stadhouderskade where the central post of the illegal Resistance Group 2000 was located.
On March 10, 1945, some resistance members then entered the building to see what the damage was after the German invasion. A firefight ensued, in which the SS Hauptscharführer Ernst Wehner was fatally hit.

As a reprisal, the Germans took 30 prisoners from the Detention Center to the Eerste Weteringplantsoen and executed them with three salvos.

The names of the 30 prisoners on the memorial are:

Wieger Boonstra
Pieter F. Brittijn
Frederik C.C.M. Coelen
James C.R. van Eijk
Gerardus W. Engelen
Anthony J. Engelen
Johan G. Eskens
Willem van de Fliert
Jacobus Goris
Johannes Th. Rooster
Hendrik Hecking
Sander de Kleuver
Pieter L. Merlin
Robert Murray
Roelof T. East
French Pas
Marinus A. Arrow
Marinus A. Arrow
Johannes C. Arrow
Jan Pleing
Reinier Pletting
Jan W. van Randen
Jan D. Semeins
Gerrit Stoof
Hans Sturm
Gerard H. van Tiel
William J. van Velzen
Leendert Verwoerd
Arie H. Verwoerd
Claus Weaver

The Preacher Dr. J. Koopmans was fatally wounded, watching from his home. The remains remained for a long time as a warning before they were taken away on an open truck.

Text on the Monument:

FUSILLED SITE IN WORLD WAR 2
ON MARCH 12, 1945, 30 POLITICAL PRISONERS BECOME HERE
KILLED TO DEATH BY THE GERMAN OCCUPANCY IN A REPRESAIL ACTION

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Source

• Text: Dick de Bruijne, Fedor de Vries
• Photos: Dick de Bruijne