#Monument
Stripes that never faded
In early April 1945, 26 people were imprisoned in a large mansion on Stationsweg in Meppel. On the night of April 3rd to 4th, five of them were taken from their cells, brought to the Staphorsterweg, and shot dead. It was likely an act of retaliation by the Nazis. That same morning, young Geertje Tuik-Helmhout, on her way to fetch milk, saw something she would never forget.
As the war dragged on, the fighting grew fiercer. The Nazis felt increasingly cornered and eliminated anyone they considered a threat. Yet, resistance fighters became ever bolder. Several resistance groups were active in Meppel. In the Staatsbossen (state forests) near Staphorst, they had set up a hideout. On Wednesday, March 28, 1945, resistance members sabotaged the railway line between Zwolle and Meppel.
The enemy struck back. A large mansion on Stationsweg in Meppel, used by the Germans as a prison, became the site of grim events. Locals referred to it, ironically, as "Sing Sing." The name may have sounded cheerful, but being locked up there was a nightmare. By early April, 26 people were detained there. In the night of April 3–4, five men were selected, taken from their cells, and executed at dawn between oak trees along the Staphorsterweg.
Why these five were chosen is still unclear. While they were involved in resistance activities, they had no connection to the railway sabotage. After the execution, the Nazis left the bodies lying in the roadside grass.
A child's memory
On April 4, eleven-year-old Geertje was cycling from her home on Werkhorst to Lankhorst, as she did every Wednesday to fetch milk from farmer Oosting on Staphorsterweg. At some point during the ride, she glanced to the side and noticed dark streaks in the fresh green grass. Looking closer, she realized with horror that they were five dead bodies. Terrified, she pedaled on, collected the milk—but when she got home, she was completely distraught.
Alongside the sorrow over what had happened, there was also nervous excitement in Staphorst and Meppel: the Canadians were approaching. On Friday, April 13, their tanks rumbled across the Werkhorst bridge from Staphorst into Meppel. Geertje was thrilled—but those dark stripes in the grass would stay with her forever.
Today, a monument on the Zuidweg commemorates this tragic event. The curved stone bears the names of the five resistance fighters who were executed there.