#Museum
Under a high viewpoint on a dune
Near the boulevard of kijkduin, beneath a viewpoint on a high dune, lies an extensive tunnel system. it is a well-hidden part of the former widerstandsnest 67 hl, a huge complex that was largely demolished for the construction of the shopping center and the apartment buildings along the current boulevard. the remaining one hundred and thirty meters of tunnel, with several bunkers, has been made accessible by volunteers from the atlantikwall museum scheveningen.
In november 1940, a zeehospitium was put into use in kijkduin. the idea was that patients would recover better from the sea air and the water. the staff sometimes provoked the occupiers by hanging the dutch flag. in mid-may 1942, the sanatorium management was suddenly ordered by the german ortskommandant to evacuate the building, giving everyone two days to leave.
The zeehospitium was to be demolished for the construction of the atlantikwall. in january 1943, the nearly new building was demolished down to its foundations. the children and adults were relocated to temporary buildings but returned after liberation to the coast in scheveningen, where they were housed in swedish barracks. it was not the only building removed for the wall.
Today, kijkduin is bustling, but before the war it had only 150 buildings. to make way for german defenses and clear lines of fire, half of them were demolished, including much of the meer en bosch villa park. the houses that remained were heavily damaged during the war, mostly stripped for construction material for german positions or used as firewood during the hunger winter of 1944.
Widerstandsnest 67 hl was a large infantry support point defending this part of the coast. in the summer of 1944, the garrison consisted of 57 men and 8 non-commissioned officers. the majority were army personnel, called heer in german, hence the letter h after the position number. five were from the air force, or luftwaffe, hence the letter l. these were part of the flugwache within the position, an observation post where they scanned the skies with binoculars for enemy aircraft.
In addition to their personal weapons, such as pistols or rifles, the troops in widerstandsnest 67 hl also had heavier weapons to fire upon landing boats and troops on the beach: 5 field and anti-tank guns, 4 mortars, and 3 machine guns.
Guided tours are offered in the preserved northern section of the tunnels with bunkers. near the entrance, a dog’s paw print is visible in the floor of the corridor, apparently made while the cement was still wet. visitors can see a gun emplacement for an anti-tank gun, two personnel bunkers, a water reservoir, and the impressive dome of the flugwache.