Chapter 15
Mussert in Dachau
A beautifully decorated photo album remembers the 1941 visit of the Dutch NSB (National Socialist Bond - Dutch collaborators with the Germans) leader Mussert, accompanied by three of his aides. This album was discovered by the Dutch Institute for War Documentation and is now in the collection of Gedenkstatte Dachau.
The most important item on the agenda during this two day visit to Germany was a visit to the Waffen-SS school in Munich. Heinrich Himmler, Reichsfuher SS, hoped to make Mussert more positive towards allowing NSB-ers to join the Waffen-SS.
In June 1940, Hitler had given orders to establish the “Standarte Westland”, a regiment that would be comprised of Dutch and Flemish men. Although Mussert initially was not very happy with the idea, he capitulated several weeks later, under heavy pressure.
But it was not wholeheartedly. The establishment off the new regiment would have to happen without his personal support. In large part, that is the reason why the number of NSB-ers going to Munich for an SS education was scant.
On January 20, 1941, Mussert arrived in Munich by train, accompanied by such NSB notables as Rost van Tonningen, Feldmeyer and Van Geelkerken. State Commissioner Seyss-Inquart and Chief of Police Rauter were also part of the entourage.
The day started with a visit to the Braune Haus, headquarters of the NSDAP. Afterwards, a wreath was laid by “Die Einige Wache” (the eternal watch), the monument for fallen members of the Nazi party.
After lunch the entire party went to Konzentrationslager Dachau. The reason for the visit was not entirely clear. It is possible that Mussert had heard about the conditions in the German camps. His German hosts may have wanted him to see the “real situation”.
Led by an enthusiastic Himmler, and camp Commander Piorkowski, the Dutch guests were shown a fresh and clean concentration camp where well-cared-for prisoners were performing useful tasks in pleasant surroundings.
Mussert was enthusiastic about his visit to Dachau. After the war, in his prison cell in Scheveningen, he remarked: “Himmler showed me Dachau. It was beautiful there. The people were in the fresh air. They baked, painted, gardened. I said then, in Holland I will do the same. As soon as I get to be in charge, I will break down all those stone cages and prisons and I will build concentration camps here too. Of course, as I found out later, I was only shown the exhibition part.”
