Haagse Bos
Encyclopedia
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It reaches from the Center of The Hague near Malieveld to the city of Wassenaar. It is also one of the oldest remaining forests of the Netherlands.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the park was used by the Germans for launching V-1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
and V-2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
rockets.
Originally the Haagse Bos was a section of a bigger forest that stretched from 's-Gravenzande
's-Gravenzande
s-Gravenzande is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 12 km southwest of The Hague. Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 20.77 km² .In 2001, the town of 's-Gravenzande had 15241 inhabitants...
to Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
. This was called Die Hout (The Woods). The title eventually gave way to the name Houtland (which literally means "woods lands") and later became Holland. From this original forest only the Haagse Bos remains.
In the time of William II and Floris V the forest was considerably reduced to make space and provide wood for the growing fort and the village Die Haghe. The fort became the Binnenhof
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
, where Dutch Parliament sits today, and Die Haghe became Den Haag.
However, even in the Middle Ages there were strict rules in place to protect the Haagse Bos from becoming completely cut down, since the Bos was a popular hunting area for Dutch Counts.
During the beginning of the Eighty Years' War the Haagse Bos was once again quickly shrunk to make way for more residents of The Hague. In 1571 a sixth portion of the oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
forests were cut to build defenses against the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
army. On April 16, 1576 it was declared (in the so-called Act of Redemption) that no further cutting or sale of the forest would be permitted. This law stands today.
During the French Occupation
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...
in the early 19th Century, the forest was about to be cut down, but due to saboteurs and work delays the plan was never implemented. After the French occupation the ponds in the forest were made.
In the Second World War the forest was used by the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
as a launchingplace for their V-1 and V-2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s. An attempt by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
to destroy this facility led to the bombardment on the adjacent Bezuidenhout
Bezuidenhout
Bezuidenhout is the neighborhood southeast of the Haagse Bos neighborhood. Bezuidenhout includes the Beatrixkwartier financial area near the Central Station and streets such as Bezuidenhoutseweg, Juliana van Stolberglaan, Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië, Prins Clauslaan, and Theresiastraat.Part of...
district.
Since 1899 the National Forest Administration of the Netherlands (the Staatsbosbeheer) has owned and administered the park. Despite its protected status, two major motorways cut through the forest: the A12
A12 motorway (Netherlands)
The A12 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. The road connects the city of The Hague, with the German border, near Zevenaar, and the German Autobahn BAB 3...
and the Laan van Nieuw Oost Indië.