Collaboration and the NSB in Dordrecht

Just like in other parts of the country, there were collaborators and members of the NSB (National Socialistic Movement) in Dordrecht as well. However, the NSB was already active in Dordrecht before the war. Since 1934, Dordrecht had its own independent branch within the NSB, which grew steadily. The movement was founded by Anton Mussert and Kees van Geelkerken, with its headquarters in Utrecht, and had a fascist character. It started as a small movement but quickly grew, with over 22,000 members by December 1933. In the provincial elections, the NSB managed to secure 8% of the votes, making it the fifth-largest party in the Netherlands. This significant growth led to the establishment of a branch in Dordrecht as well. The NSB’s branch office was located at Wijnstraat 1, facing the Nieuwbrug (current numbers 147 to 151). It remained there until the summer of 1942 when it moved to the corner of the Johan and Cornelis de Wittstraat. After the German invasion, the NSB experienced a resurgence, and its influence grew. Mussert was recognized by the occupiers as the leader of the Dutch people in 1942, and despite not being directly anti-Semitic, he actively collaborated with the enemy, as did his party. The influence of the NSB also increased in Dordrecht during the war. Mayor Bleeker, who was injured in May 1940 while bravely trying to save a wounded person, was replaced by an NSB mayor, Mr. J.G. van Houten. Bleeker refused to provide a list of people eligible for forced labor in Germany, leading to his replacement by the NSB member Van Houten. During the liberation, Mayor Bleeker was reinstated, and NSB members and other collaborators were arrested by members of the Domestic Armed Forces (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten) and interned at the Benthien barracks^{1 2}.