Exploring the Orange Hotel: A Hidden Piece of WWII History, Hague, Netherlands

If you ever find yourself exploring The Hague, you might pass by a place with an unassuming name: the Orange Hotel. But this is no ordinary hotel. It’s a place steeped in history, a prison that held Dutch resistance fighters, political prisoners, and civilians during World War II. In this blog post, I’ll share my personal connection to this site, the significance it holds in Dutch history, and how you can visit this extraordinary place. Along the way, I’ll offer some hotel recommendations nearby and suggest how you can explore this history with private tours.

In 2019, the Orange Hotel opened its doors as a national memorial in Scheveningen, a district of The Hague. This prison, once a symbol of oppression under Nazi occupation, now stands as a testament to the resilience of the Dutch resistance. It holds special significance for me because my grandfather, René van Terheyden, was imprisoned here during the war for 30 days.

In my recent video, I walked through the corridors where he once paced, visiting the cells that confined prisoners like him. As I learned more about his experience and the wider history of the prison, I couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to this place. You can watch my full exploration of the Orange Hotel and my reflections on this personal journey in my video here. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).