Velserbeek – Estate in Wartime

Before the war, the manor house of Velserbeek functioned as a luxurious hotel.

In the period leading up to the German occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch soldiers were quartered in the hotel. The choice of Velserbeek as a billet for troops was no coincidence — the estate was located along the main road from Haarlem to IJmuiden and Amsterdam, giving it significant strategic importance.

After a short period during which Wehrmacht officers were housed there, the hotel or manor house took on a completely different role. It became the official residence of the N.S.B. (Dutch National Socialist Movement) mayor T.J. van der Weide, who lived there with his unmarried daughter. The park and surrounding area were heavily guarded, as Van der Weide feared an assassination attempt.

Under the stately trees of Velserbeek Park, a workshop for the maintenance of Seehunde — small two-man submarines — was established in late 1944. The Seehund was one of the secret weapons with which the German navy hoped to turn the tide of war in favor of Nazi Germany.

These miniature submarines were launched near the IJmuiden locks to carry out their dangerous missions. Their deployment came at a high cost — many of the vessels and their two-man crews were lost in action.

After the war, the manor house never regained its former function as a luxurious hotel. Instead, it was taken over by the Municipal Works Department. Following the department’s relocation and an extensive restoration, the building now houses a law firm.

The park itself — which contained no bunkers — is public and freely accessible. Walking past the manor house leads visitors onto the Lindelaan, where the Seehund submarines were stationed during 1944–1945.

A preserved Seehund can still be admired at the Bunker Museum IJmuiden, where its story is told through photos, film, and sound recordings.

South of the Velserbeek estate lie the Beeckestijn and Waterland estates, both of which also served military functions during the war.