2 Cycling the trail of an Engelandvaarder Bunker near Scheveningen The story of the Soldier of Orange has been told many times: in a book, film and musical. The leading character is Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (1917-2007), an Engelandvaarder (England sailor) and a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II. The cities of Leiden and Scheveningen also play an important part in the story, and these happen to be at the edges of the very diverse dune area Duin, Horst & Weide. So just get on your bicycle and follow the trail of the Soldier of Orange along the coastline, dunes, meadows, country estates and old cities. The trail is 55 kms but includes shortcuts. leading actors Rutger Hauer Wall. Villa Sandhaghe (Hoge­ Who was the Soldier of and Jeroen Krabbé, dressed weg 18) was also claimed by Orange in tuxedos, racing across the Germans and set up as a Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema the square with German command centre for the Ger­ was born on Java (Indo­ fighter planes flying over. The man Schnellboote. At 7 metres nesia) in 1917 and in the 1977 film, directed by Paul deep, a tunnel was dug from 1930s his family moved Verhoe ven, is based on the the house to the bunker in to Wassenaar. During book (1971) written by Erik the garden. his studies in Leiden he Hazelhoff Roelfzema. The film became involved in the launched the international ¢ Many defences were resistance movement. careers of the director and the taken down after the war, He fled to London, where two actors. but at Badhuisweg a bunker he set up an intelligence was dug out and changed network, after which he £ During World War II (1940­ into a museum (www. became a pilot and an 1945) the Germans built the atlantikwallmuseum.nl, aide to Queen Wilhel­ Atlantic Wall, a defence line limited opening times). You mina. He has written a along the Western European can get to the museum by book about his wartime coastline. Many bunkers, turning left at the cross­ adventures called Soldier barricades and tank moats ing with Badhuis weg and of Orange. were built in The Hague, continuing along the road for where 135,000 people were 500 m. You can then see the evicted to make way for the bunker on your right. ¡ The route goes right past Entrance gate of Oranjehotel, the prison at Scheveningen the Binnenhof court, which is a perfect opportunity for taking a look inside the court­ yard (see route). The court is the historic heart of Nether­ lands politics, where several scenes of the film Soldier of Orange were shot. A plaque at Hofpoort gate, behind the Ridderzaal hall, reminds us of the England Spiel, the deadly ‘game’ between the German occupier and Dutch intelli­ gence agents including Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema. ¤ Halfway Nassaulaan, look left into Sophialaan with square Plein 1813 at the end. This square was the backdrop of a famous scene in the film: ∞ The medieval­looking he grew up is located on the gate is part of Scheveningen inner edge of the dune area Book, film and musical prison, which was referred (see 1%). Go up to one of the Millions of Dutch people to as Oranje hotel during dune viewpoints to enjoy the have learned about the World War II. Many resistance wonderful panorama. Soldier of Orange story via fighters were locked up and the book, film or musical. interrogated at this prison. • Although there are many Although the film and the At the beginning of the war, bunkers hidden underneath musical stay as close to Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema was the dune sand, the bat bunker the storyline as possible, held prison here for a week. near Wassenaarse Slag is there are still clear differ­ Although he was released, clearly visible. You can get to ences. For example, film many resistance fighters were it by turning left towards the director Paul Verhoeven sentenced to death and exe­ beach at bicycle point 41. changed the name of the cuted at Waalsdorper vlakte A sign now marks this bunker leading character into (see 1^). Cycling towards inhabited by bats. A monu­ Erik Lanshof (portrayed by Scheveningen, you will pass a ment near the roundabout Rutger Hauer) while the small gate in the prison wall. down the road commemo­ next main character, Guus To the convicted prisoners rates six French commandos LeJeune (portrayed by going through this gate, it that died during a landing on Jeroen Krabbé), combines marked the beginning of their the beach in 1944. various individuals from final chapter. the book. The musical ª A well­known name at follows a group of Erik’s § Scheveningen plays an im­ Wassenaar is amusement student friends who, portant part in the Soldier of park Duinrell . In 1935 count because of the war, are Orange story. After his release Philip van Zuylen van Nijevelt forced to make essential from the Oranjehotel, Erik got opened his estate to the decision about good and on a ship and fled to England, public. At that time, it was bad. where he set up an intelli­ not much more than a tea gence network to operate garden with some playground from the Netherlands. In the equipment. Disaster struck on winter of 1941­1942, he took 12 May 1940: nervous Dutch several trips by fast English soldiers accidentally killed the navy motorboat to transport count on his own estate. transmission equipment to Scheveningen. A plaque on 1) In 1939, the construc­ the Kurhaus hotel railing tion of Vliegkamp Valken­ reminds us of these trips. burg was started north of Oostdorperweg. This airfield ¶ After Scheveningen, the was not yet finished when route meanders through the German paratroopers and beautiful Meijendel dune airplanes landed on 10 May area. As a young boy, Erik 1940. Many planes sank into would often wander through this large wildlife area. The famous bell was installed at After all, the house where Waalsdorpervlakte in 1959 the soggy ground. At the end the musical Soldier of Orange 1! Leiden city centre seems to of the war, the allied forces took place in a converted have never lost its charm. This used the airfi eld to drop food hangar on the north end of certainly goes for Rapen burg, supplies for the starving the fi eld. Just as the fi lm, this where Erik spent most of his population. The airfi eld was musical was based on Erik student life. After his college closed down and put to new Hazelhoff Roelfzema‘s book graduation, Erik signed use. In 2010, the premiere of (see box). his name on a wall of the De Pan Groot Berkheide 99 Leiden A44 START 16 E 8 E 41 10 Valkenburgse 07 86 Z Meer Leiden 79 Ganzenhoek De Klip D 11 12 R Meeuwenhoek 43 48 49 O Lange Pan Maaldrift Rijn O Kikkerberg A 47 53 N 9 START 50 02 Wassenaar De Vink Oostduinen 51 7 52 Den Deijl Kijfhoek 40 Voorschoten 03 Sparregat 77 14 Meijendel 15 Voorschoten 90 91 B 92 08 44 46 57 13 Oostduinpark 55 START 39 54 16 85 6 51 88 N44 84 86 Westeinde 36 Uilenbos Scheveningen 5 35 93 34 83 4 94 82 84 38 3 17 33 95 Vogelplas 37 Den Haag Starrevaart 98 32 18 96 Stompwijk Mariahoeve 99 Sorghvliet 26 Haagse 19 A4 Bos Leidschendam 2 Haagse Hout 81 25 START 56 29 78 0 1 km 30 Den Haag 1 Centraal notorious ‘perspiration room’ students turned against the garden Hortus botanicus at no. 73 of the Academy German occupier. This led to (www.hortusleiden.nl). Building . Rapenburg is also his one­week imprisonment the place where he started at the Oranjehotel. 1@ Erik’s student room is his resistance activities: in Tip: Walk past the right­hand at no. 56, diagonally across February 1941 he distributed side of the Academy Building the Academy Building and De Pan his manifesto, in which Leiden to the beautiful botanical right above the entrance of Café Barrera. Several fi lm 99 Groot Berkheide scenes were shot here as Leiden well, for example the famous A44 START 16 E scene where Esther (Belinda 8 E 41 10 Valkenburgse 07 86 Meuldijk) appears half­naked Z Meer Leiden 79 Ganzenhoek De Klip at the window to distract D 11 12 R a German security service Meeuwenhoek 43 48 49 O Lange Pan agent (Rijk de Gooyer). Maaldrift Rijn O Kikkerberg A 47 53 1# Time for a break? The N 9 START 50 02 Wassenaar De Vink outdoor cafés along Voor­ straat at Voorschoten are very inviting. The setting of Oostduinen 51 ancient house fronts and 7 52 Den Deijl grand linden trees must be Kijfhoek 40 Voorschoten 03 very similar to how it was Sparregat 77 at the beginning of the war. 14 During the mobilisation in Meijendel 15 1939, an encampment was Voorschoten 90 91 B 92 08 built for mobilised recruits 44 46 57 13 behind Voorstraat, along Oostduinpark Koninklijke Marinelaan. There 55 START 39 54 was mainly fi eld artillery, 16 85 6 51 i.e. horse­drawn canons. 88 N44 84 However, many of the old 86 Westeinde 36 Uilenbos canons were not operational Scheveningen 5 93 35 and there was a major lack 34 83 4 94 of other equipment. Part of 82 84 38 3 17 33 95 Vogelplas Start • Hotel De Gouden 37 Den Haag Starrevaart The trail starts at The Hague Leeuw (the golden lion), % 98 32 18 Length 96 Central train station. Veurseweg 180, Stompwijk Mariahoeve The total cycling trail is Alternative99 points of 2252 AG Voorschoten Sorghvliet 26 Haagse 19 55 kmA4 long but includes departure are: • Car park Berkhei at Bos Leidschendam 2 Haagse Hout 81 optional shortcuts through • Leiden Central train Berkheistraat, START 25 56 Meijendel and Wassenaar.