Guided tour to the urban forest camp: New dates for 2023

Due to the great demand, the offer for guided tours through the former Bocholt city forest camp will be continued in the coming year. Dates for this are to be announced in the spring, informs the city of Bocholt.

The guided tours in Bocholt's Stadtwaldlager were conceived in 2021 as part of the Stadtmuseum's special exhibition "People Living in Bocholt's Stadtwaldlager". "Even then, we could hardly cope with all the tour requests," recalls museum director Lisa Merschformann. She was therefore delighted to be able to offer the guided tours with Dr. Marius Lange again this year.

In total, just under 200 people took part in the seven guided tours, and interest remains high. "We receive more inquiries every day," the museum director continues. Therefore, the cooperation between the city museum and Dr. Lange is to continue in the coming year.

Marius Lange can only agree with this. "Many Bocholters know the camp only from family lore. Concrete things, however, were usually not told at home," says the historian. "Many of the participants now finally wanted to learn more about the history of the camp. They also link their own family stories to it during the Nazi era and ask themselves what their own family knew or saw," Lange says.

A particular highlight for him were the diverse stories and memories of contemporary witnesses who took part in the tours. "It is precisely these personal memories, that bring the examination of one's own family history and the history of the camps back into the center of attention. At a time when the Ukraine war taking place in the middle of Europe is once again making us aware of how fragile peace can be. War is not something that happens or has happened only in the distance. In Bocholt, too, many people fell victim to the crimes of National Socialism under the eyes of the population. So we must all work to be able to live in peace," said the Bocholt historian.

Further dates to be announced in spring 2023

The city museum will offer further dates in the camp area in the coming year in consultation with Dr. Lange. Concrete details will be available in good time in the press, on the museum's homepage and on the city's social media channels.