Around the start of World War II, an orphanage from the Dutch coast was moved to Hoensbroek Castle because its original location was needed for the German “Atlantic Wall.” On September 17, 1944, the castle and its orphan residents were liberated by the U.S. 30th Infantry and 2nd Armored Division.
American soldiers quickly overturned a British officer’s attempt to use the castle for military headquarters, which helped form a lasting bond between the children and their liberators, leading to iconic images of the soldiers accompanying the children on walks through the castle grounds.
The children, numbering around 120, were originally from a boarding school in Velsen, a town in North Holland. In 1942, the German occupiers ordered their school to be demolished to make way for the “Atlantikwall” (Atlantic Wall), a system of coastal fortifications. The Carmelite Sisters who ran the school were forced to find new accommodation, and by late 1942, they moved the children to Hoensbroek Castle, in the southeastern province of Limburg.
The children, many of whom were orphans or under government guardianship, lived a relatively undisturbed life at the castle. Although the castle itself was declared unsuitable for use by the German army, there were a few close calls with SS officers in the days leading up to liberation. The children remained at the castle, cared for by the sisters, until their liberation.
The town of Hoensbroek and its castle were liberated by American troops, specifically the U.S. 30th Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions, on September 17-18, 1944. Following the liberation, a British officer initially ordered the castle to be used for troops, which would have forced the children to leave. However, this order was quickly overturned by an American Civil Affairs officer, ensuring the children could stay.
A remarkable bond formed between the American soldiers and the Dutch children. The GIs, many of whom had been fighting for months, found a rare moment of joy and peace with the young residents. They would frequently visit the castle, not just to admire the historic building, but to play with the children.
The relationship was a source of mutual comfort. The children, dressed in traditional Dutch clothing, would perform dances and sing songs, including English songs they were taught by the sisters, for their liberators. American soldiers were particularly moved by the children singing “Silent Night” in English during Christmas. In return, the sisters knitted items and painted clogs for the soldiers as gifts.
The heartwarming images of American soldiers and Dutch children at Hoensbroek Castle were published in newspapers, bringing the story to a wider audience. This unique chapter in the castle’s history continued for some time after the liberation. The children and sisters eventually left the castle in June 1946 when maintaining the home became too expensive, but the friendship forged in 1944 remained a powerful and uplifting symbol of the human connection that could transcend the horrors of war.
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