Kamp Schoorl was the first concentration camp in the Netherlands, established in 1940 soon after the German troops were occupied Netherlands. Among the prisoners were also people from England, Belgium and France. After a few months the French and the Belgian were released. The English prisoners were transferred to a German camp Gleiwitz in September 1940.
The first Jews, captured in 22th and 23th February 1941 in Amsterdam, were transferred in an army truck to the camp. The group of 425 people only stayed for 4 days after which they are transferred to concentration camp Buchenwald where they again are transferred in June 1941 to concentration camp Mauthausen. Only two of this group survived the war.
For about 1,900 people was the camp their first camp before being transferred to other camps. More than 1,000 of them never returned, mainly Jews and political prisoners. The regime in the camp was mild compared to the other Dutch camps. There was not heavy labour and there was enough food.
The camp was closed by the Germans because the camp was too small and located between the dunes. It was not easy to enlarge it. In October 1941 the camp was closed. Some of the prisonars were released, but most of the prisoners were transferred to Kamp Amersfoort. 25 women were directly transported to concentration camp Ravensbrück. Until the end of the war, militia of the Wehrmacht and the Organisation Todt used the camp as a base.
After the war the camp was used to imprison NSB members and was finally demolished in 1950.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.