Geesbrug | |
Settlement Type: | Village |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Netherlands |
Subdivision Type1: | Province |
Subdivision Name1: | Drenthe |
Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
Subdivision Name2: | Coevorden |
Pushpin Map: | Netherlands Drenthe#Netherlands |
Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
Elevation M: | 15 |
Area Total Km2: | 19.01 |
Population Footnotes: | [2] |
Population Total: | 1,355 |
Population As Of: | 2021 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Population Density Urban Km2: | auto |
Timezone: | CET |
Utc Offset: | +1 |
Timezone Dst: | CEST |
Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
Postal Code: | 7917 |
Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
Area Code: | 0524 |
Coordinates: | 52.7278°N 6.6339°W |
Geesbrug is a village in the Netherlands and is part of the Coevorden municipality in Drenthe.
Geesburg was first mentioned in 1913, and means the bridge near Gees.[3]
Work Camp Geesburg was built in the 1930s for the unemployed.[4] In 1942, it was used as a Jewish forced labour camp to cultivate the land. They were later moved to Westerbork transit camp.[5]
In 1949, Indonesia became independent, and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was disbanded. The islands of Ambon, Buru, and Seram had fought on side of the Netherlands, and proclaimed the Republic of South Maluku which resulted in an attack by Indonesia. In 1951, 12,000 refugees from South Maluku were temporarily resettled in the Netherlands.[6] A group of refugees was resettled in Camp Geesbrug. The camp is nowadays in use as a pig farm.[7]