People often ask me during a tour if the Dutch still hate the Germans.

I understand that question, but when you think of it it’s a strange one. First of all, who are “The Dutch”, and who are “The Germans?”. I am sure there are people who hate others, but I can’t speak for “The Dutch” in general. There are a lot of Dutch people, all of them with their own feelings and emotions. But that’s not my main concern.

Whether I take people to Camp Westerbork or show the Market Garden battle sites, I always tell the stories of individuals, people from different backgrounds who found themselves at opposing ends of history. Just people. A German soldier fighting in Arnhem was just a young man trying to stay alive, facing young men on the other side who were trying to do exactly the same. I am more interested in understanding who people were and why they made the choices they did than judging them eighty years later.

So for any nation to “hate” the people of another nation is not how I want to look at the world. Germans today have a horrible history to deal with, and I find that they are most honest about it. More so than the victors of the war, perhaps. In any case, I personally love going to Germany where people are in general most friendly and welcoming. Germany now is not Germany in the 1940’s, The Netherlands today is not The Netherlands of the slave trade, and so on.

So when someone asks me if we still hate the Germans I can with certainty say: “Yes, we hate them.” Not for the war, that’s a long time ago. But they beat us in the 1974 world cup final and that we will never forgive them.

Martin van Elmpt

Historical Investigator • Storyteller • Private Guide

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

And I thought it was. Listening to him, looking at the typical old black-and-white photographs, it truly seemed like another world. A long, long time ago.

But now I am the age he was then, older And I can remember being sixteen as if it were last week. It was not that long ago at all. It still isn’t.

When my father was sixteen, the Germans ordered him to report on a certain date with a suitcase, ready to be sent to work.

Almost every Dutch boy faced that when he turned sixteen: forced labour in Germany, working for the enemy.

My father had already lost his parents by then — my grandparents — and he went. He had no choice.

He boarded a train filled with strangers. There was little food, endless walking, and no idea where he was being taken or what would happen to him.

Eventually he was sent across the Elbe River, not far from Berlin. There, together with a number of other Dutch boys, he was forced to work on a railway line. It was completely pointless work; these were the final months of the war and Germany was in ruins.

The work was hard, life was tough. They were beaten sometimes, and the other boys were not that friendly. Each had to look after themselves.

In the end, he was liberated by the Soviets. Hehad to make his own way home: no money, no papers, no real idea where to go. Somehow he managed to cross the Elbe again. On the western side he was picked up by the Americans, and slowly, step by step, he found his way back to Amsterdam.

There was not much waiting for him there anymore.

So that is how my father began his independent life: sixteen years old, alone, carrying memories that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

And in a way, it shaped my life too. In some ways it still does. It is not for nothing that I now spend so much of my life telling these stories — especially stories about the Second World War — to people who want to understand, who want to learn.

For me, it is still close. As it is for so many people with parents or grandparents who lived through these years.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Carol had booked an entire day to explore the Amsterdam of Anne Frank. A tour where we start in Amsterdam Zuid, where she lived, then visit the Anne Frank House, followed by the Jewish Quarter and whatever else there is to see. She didn’t have a ticket for the museum, but she didn’t mind, she said.

I expected an older woman with a deep interest in World War II, but Carol was a young woman from Newcastle, covered in piercings and sporting brightly dyed hair. How funny! She told me at the hotel that she had one day in Amsterdam to celebrate her birthday. Alone, because if her boyfriend came along, they would just hang out stoned in a bar, and she wanted to see something. “But are you sure you want to spend an entire day on Anne Frank and WWII?” Definitely not, she wanted to see Amsterdam. She had barely heard of Anne Frank!

Fine, let’s make it a completely different day. I took her on part of my surprise walk; we visited the palace on Dam Square, and of course, the Red Light District. She was eager to go to the sex museum and came back with all kinds of “souvenirs.” We wandered around a bit more and then shared a beer together on her birthday.

It was a fun day for both of us!

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Bernhard completed a training course in the Irish army and had to give a presentation on the Polish contribution during the Battle of Arnhem. He and his wife Donna spent two days mainly visiting the places where the Polish fought and learning more about Market Garden. Of course, we went to Driel, where there is a small permanent exhibition, but we also visited the Polish graves and other significant sites.

He took a lot of photos during this time. I could show him what he needed for his presentation and made sure that Donna also had a nice weekend in the interesting and beautiful surroundings of Nijmegen and Arnhem.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Russell came for two days to Arnhem and Nijmegen where his grandfather had fought during Market Garden. In uniform, he also came to pay his respects. It was the weekend of September 17, a time when many events and commemorations are organized. His grandfather had landed near Grave and had been in the boats during the infamous crossing over the Waal near Nijmegen.

That crossing was demonstrated during the commemorations with the special guest being the son of Julian Cook (Robert Redford in “A Bridge Too Far”), the commander of that operation. I was able to connect the two, and they couldn’t stop talking. We were taken in a jeep to further commemorations where Russell was warmly welcomed as a special guest. It was a very emotional experience.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

David Dobie was an officer in the 1st Airborne Division who led his troops to Arnhem during Market Garden. He was injured, managed to escape, and spent some time hidden with a family in Ede. From there, he swam across the Rhine to organize the evacuation of hundreds of other officers and soldiers who were in hiding. David makes a brief appearance in the series “Band of Brothers” as the “Mad Colonel.”

His stepson spent a day with me in Arnhem. I had done the necessary research and found where David Dobie had landed, how he had led his troops to Arnhem, and where he had been wounded. It was very special that we also found the house in Ede where he had been in hiding. A very emotional moment, and an interesting day with someone who had known David Dobie and several other officers very well personally.

An emotional day at Arnhem *****

A superb and emotional day of tribute to a very brave few. Our excellent guide, historian Martin Van Elmpt, went far beyond the call to learn all he could about my godfather David Dobie who was one of the three battalion commanders in that fateful operation. Thus we were able to stand at the very places where he landed, fought, was wounded, his hospital, escape, and hiding places from the Nazis as the few British Paras struggled at The Bridge too Far against overwhelming odds.
Never forgetting the hardship endured by the Dutch civilian townsfolk, a private guide is definitely the way to go…

Thank you Martin

Tim LaPage

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Fiona came to the Netherlands with her mother, whose father was involved in the Market Garden operation in September 1944. They didn’t know much about his history, only that he had served in the engineer corps and had been quartered with a family in Eindhoven. They had some postcards and an address of this family’s house, with whom he had kept in touch after the war.

They asked me to take them to the places where he must have definitely been and to share some background about the how and why of that battle, and of the Netherlands during that time.

Researching the tour

We left Haarlem for the Belgian border, from where the British troops entered the Netherlands. Fiona’s grandfather had certainly come to Eindhoven via Valkenswaard. I had been given two addresses where we went to look; the houses there were from before the war, so he had been there. We visited a local museum, and I was able to tell them the background and show them.

For the first time, Fiona and her mother had an idea of ​​where their (grand)father had been and what that was like. It was a great day.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

It rained heavily today, but the experience for my guest from Canada remained truly remarkable. His father was part of the Canadian troops that liberated Arnhem in April 1945. Although this operation may be just a footnote in the broader context of World War II, often overlooked in the abundance of war literature, it was nonetheless a fiercely contested battle — crossing the IJssel, fighting against stubborn German resistance, and liberating Arnhem seven months after the debacle of Operation Market Garden.

Phil had shared some notes about his father’s journey, and we spent the day visiting the locations where he prepared for future battles, including the site of the river crossing. We also visited a small exhibition dedicated to the Canadian liberation and wrapped up our day at a private war museum north of Arnhem.

Despite the rain, it was an unforgettable day for Phil and his wife, and for me, discovering places I had not visited before. You learn something new every day.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Before I can offer a tour, I naturally do the necessary research into the right locations, the surroundings and distances, and the unexpected places that are good to know when you’re out with people. I was in Normandy for a week with a camper and my dog, where Easy Company, known from Band of Brothers, fought in several places. I wanted to offer a “follow the Band of Brothers” tour, so I went on an investigation.

Just outside Carentan, where heavy fighting also took place, are the fields where Easy Company managed to hold off a German armored counterattack until, just in time, American tanks that had arrived on the beaches came to offer help. This battle is extensively shown in the series, and it’s where I want to take people along.

I quickly found the right location, farm fields between narrow roads surrounded by high hedges. After taking some photos, I thought it would be handy to drive a little further to a slightly larger place where I could turn around my camper. However, I hadn’t taken into account that it was very wet and muddy there.

I got hopelessly stuck; the wheels were spinning in the mud but going nowhere. Oh dear. There I was on a Sunday afternoon.

Where are those tanks when you need them, I thought.

I decided to go find help with my dog and ended up at a farmhouse where a family party was taking place. In my best French, I explained what the problem was, and luckily I had taken this photo, so they understood me. I was given a soda, and there was a flurry of phone calls. After a while, someone came in a van to take me to my camper, and shortly after that, a tractor showed up. It quickly pulled me out of the mud, and with a cheerful smile, they drove off, allowing me to hit the road.

So, this won’t happen to me again when I come back here with my guests.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

On my way to Camp Westerbork, I often stop at the Hidden Village in the woods near Vierhouten. Here, in 1943 and 1944, people in hiding built a real village of well-concealed huts, three of which have been reconstructed. It’s a beautiful place to share the following insight.

The German culture is deeply rooted in the forest. The first significant victory of the Germanic tribes over the Roman armies occurred in the Teutoburg Forest, an almost mythical battle that has been of great importance to the identity of the Germanic people. Think also of the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich and others from the Romantic period, as well as the myths and stories that inspired many of Wagner’s operas.

Hitler was a great admirer of Wagner and his operas, and many supporters of Nazism, in search of Germanic identity, often held pagan rituals in remote forests. Greece has islands, the British Isles are rich with stories around lakes, and if you want to delve into German—and thus Nazi—culture, you must go to the forest.

And if you want to try to experience how it was during the war, then the forest is the best place to go. A forest is a forest; close your eyes, and you can find yourself in a forest 80 years ago in Poland or Ukraine. At that time, the weather was often pleasant, the birds were singing, and it was simply a forest. But there were people hiding there, partisans who managed to organize themselves to escape the German oppression. Forests where hidden headquarters were established, training centers like Vogelsang, but also concentration and extermination camps. Forests where countless people were killed, but where, like near Vierhouten, safety was also found.

If you want to bring the experience of the war closer, you can visit museums, monuments, and places where I can tell you the stories. But do not forget to visit a forest, for it was there, in the woods of Europe, that the events took place that had to remain in the shadows.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

Barbara had long wanted to see the place where her uncle crashed in 1944. He was a co-pilot during Market Garden and was towing a glider on his way to Nijmegen on September 18 when the aircraft was shot down. They managed to land at an airfield, but during a brief firefight, her uncle lost his life.

Barbara reached out to me, and I quickly found out where this had happened, near Haamstede in Zeeland. A few months later, I was able to take her and her husband to that location and to the cemetery where he had been buried for a time. It was a beautiful, emotional day.

This is what she says about it:

Every item under “Why Travel with Tourguidesforyou?” was checked off for us. My uncle was a US Air Force pilot during WWII whose airplane was shot down and he was killed on the 2nd day of Operation Market Garden. It had long been a dream of mine to visit the site (near Burgh-Haamstede on Schouwen Island).

Ending a Rhine River Cruise in Amsterdam gave us the opportunity. We are SO glad we found Martin to plan the tour and be our guide. He was able to research the crash; we drove to the site and he explained in detail what had happened. We were also able to visit the cemetery where my uncle was initially buried (5 years later his body was returned to the US). Martin also showed us several other sites in the area pertaining to Operation Garden Market. Throughout the drive, I felt we gained a better understanding of OGM and the war in Holland than I ever thought I would.

We can’t thank and recommend Martin highly enough!

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl

A man with an accordion and a group of laughing, flirty young ladies with two officers. They are in uniform, German, but it could have been any random group, at what seems like a company outing, something that occurs quite often even today. Ordinary people having fun together. I often show this photo at the end of my tour to Westerbork. I call it the scariest photograph of World War II that I know.

This photo comes from an album belonging to one Karl-Friedrich Höcker, containing 116 photographs he took at his workplace. This particular photo was indeed taken during an outing on a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1944 with many of the staff. The location was Solahütte, situated by a lake not far from Auschwitz. Afterward, this cheerful group of officers, doctors, executive and support staff returned to their various camps to continue their work.

It had been a busy summer. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent from Hungary to Auschwitz, where they were selected to see who could still work for a while and who, the vast majority, were immediately murdered. The four gas chambers were working overtime. So a relaxing afternoon was well-deserved.

In the photo album, which resurfaced in 2007, there are also unique photos of the camp itself, including images of the notorious selection process, where a doctor condemned people to the barracks or gas chambers within seconds. These photos are now on display in Auschwitz.

But why do I consider this to be the scariest photo of the war?

Because this is a group of very ordinary people, who could have been created in any time and in any place. Certainly, there were notorious sadists in that group, such as Josef Mengele and Josef Kramer, but most were just people who largely continued their ordinary lives after the war. They had families and were, in their daily lives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, who somehow had ended up in Auschwitz.

Even now, ordinary people commit terrible acts against other people. There are things happening that I never thought I would witness in my lifetime. And then I look at that photo and get scared.

— Martin van Elmpt

Historian • Storyteller • Historical Investigator

www.tourguidesforyou.nl