In 1666, during the Second Anglo-Dutch war, Terschelling was invaded by an English fleet. Soldiers razed nearly all the houses on West-Terschelling down to the ground. The Brandaris was one of the few remaining buildings. More than 250 years later, the Germans set foot on Terschelling. Both events left their marks on the island. Take a look at the destruction layer that is still visible after more than 350 years. Visit the Tiger fortifications with the imposing command bunker ‘Bertha’.
The destructive layer in front of Museum ‘t Behouden Huys dates back to 1666, which was a disaster year for the island. A monument makes it a permanent feature.
“Hundreds are standing around, but thousands of them are lying there.” Discover the saga of Stryper Wyfke, the saviour of Terschelling.
Emotive history, but a beautiful view. The German army had good reason to choose this location for Widerstandsnest 9 M.
Cannons! The shipwreck museum Wrakkenmuseum has a few, found in wrecks north of the island.
The occupation really affected the inhabitants of Terschelling. Men were forced into labour and families were required to have German soldiers in their homes. Residents were confronted with the horrors of the air war on a regular basis.
Of all the Wadden islands, Terschelling occupied a particularly important strategic air position. Allied planes en route to targets in Germany flew from the North Sea straight over Terschelling. The Germans aimed to intercept those planes as much as possible before they reached Germany. Therefore, they built various defensive positions on the island, largely for air defence.
