Raid on Merwedeplein

On June 11, 1941, the peace on Merwedeplein was rudely disturbed. German troops surrounded the neighborhood and conducted a large-scale raid. It was a retaliatory action following sabotage on buildings used by the Wehrmacht — the German army responsible for the military occupation of Europe. That morning, 310 men were taken from their homes, including friends and acquaintances of the Frank family. They were deported without trial, first to Camp Schoorl in North Holland.

 

A few weeks later, on June 26, they were deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. For the residents of the square, including the Franks, it was a frightening day that made the threat of the occupation palpable.