String Of Butterflies: Arnhem part 1

So this past Saturday I took a field trip to Arnhem, which is in the eastern edge of the Netherlands. It's also an area where part of my father's family is from. Many people haven't heard of Arnhem, in fact many of my Deutsch colleagues questioned why I would go there. Arnhem however played a key role in WWII. It was a true battle area. The land here is not the smooth flat countryside that the thought of the Netherlands typically conjures up, it has enough hills to make my body hurt thinking about riding a bike around the city (I'll admit though, I'm a bit out of shape). A lot of the newer built houses have a slopped yard going up to the homes, and that yard is a meticulously decorated garden. Gardens were prevalent everywhere the bus took me past. My original intention was to visit two museums while there, but instead, I only had time for the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, which is a museum about old Dutch life. This past century has brought a rapid change in life to those in Arnhem, as before then, the quiet farm life was common.

Saved Netherland gift wrapping paper

Old pipe collection

More piggy banks than one has money to put in them

Close up of some of the piggy banks

Maple Syrup production barn

Microbrewery

Because of the rich and important history of Arnhem, I figure I will start with that before going into the museum. Arnhem is considered the little Hague after its original picturesque resort town field. The styling of the city is supposed to be reminiscent of the Hague, and Arnhem is one of the largest cities in the Netherlands. Originally, the city was not built on the banks of the Rhine, only after the Rhine was diverted, did they build on its banks. During WWII the dubious Battle of Arnhem occurred during September 1944. This battle was so important that a movie was made about it in 1977 called 'A Bridge too Far.' The bridge itself was originally destroyed in 1940 by the Dutch Army, rebuilt by the Germans, and destroyed by the Americans after the battle in 1944. This main bridge in Arnhem was a major supply route for the Germans, and Allied forces, particularly the British Airborne Division and the Polish Parachute Brigade were tasked with securing the bridge to prevent the Germans from using it. They were able to hold the bridge for 4 days before all the ammunition ran out and they were captured by the Germans, and a full withdrawal was made within a few days after that. Because of resistance on the rail lines as well, the Germans retaliated against the citizens in the area and this lead to the 'Hunger Winter' when citizens were subjected to extreme hunger and cold, worse than any other part of the war. A second major battle occurred there in April 1945 when the British and Canadians liberated the city. During the end of WWII, one of the largest airborne landings occurred during Operation Market Garden, and the end of liberation occurred here too in the Rhineland Offensive (www.liberationroute.com). The citizens and military forces played war roulette. Tying in the Openluchtmuseum (translated to Open Air Museum), opened to the public in 1918, many residents of Arnhem fled to the museum during the Battle of Arnhem, when the city was evacuated, and it was so crowded with refugees, that they had to turn people away.

looms

fabric bleaching

looms

Poffertjes + real butter= yummy

This museum has just short of 100 buildings on its grounds. It is spread out over such a large area, that there is a historic tram that stops in 6 different places. I think I saw at least 90% of the museum, but I'm sure that I missed the more modern section. 6 hours in this city was insufficient to even cover the entire museum, let alone anywhere else. The first stop the train stopped at a station called the Spaarstation Dingenliefde. The focus of the buildings nearby is a neat collection of items focused on the collection, saving and conservation of Dutch life. First view off the platform though is a bunch of gnomes (~30), enough to give anyone a bit of a heart attack. Next to the gnomes is a Baroque style garden that has symmetry in the hedged bushes. After that is a building that is a collector's paradise, literally built to house the passion for collecting several individuals have. There are collections of wrapping paper, piggy banks of varying sorts, pipes, even airline seats. Strolling down the dirt and cobblestone lane, was an old barn used for maple syrup production, with the original equipment inside. There was even a functioning microbrewery within this museum! The museum contained buildings from more wealthy farmers and the average farmer in various styles, time frames, and regions of the Netherlands. Many farmers in the Netherlands also had side trades such as woodworking or making woven good because farming didn't bring in sufficient funds for survival. There were gardens of differing sizes and types, among them a herb garden, a flower garden, fruit garden, and a labyrinth. There was a dairy barn for producing cheese, with goats outside. Lunch consisted of poffertjes, which is a small fluffy pancake (about the size of a sand dollar) with powdered sugar and real butter. There was a train station for postal service on display as well as old tram cars. Several of the professions such as wood working had people doing demonstrations. Lots to see, lots to do. Because I didn't have enough time in this little big city, I'll be going back in September.