Bridges played an important role in the liberation of the Netherlands — especially in Friesland. This route tells the stories of the bridges at Kootstertille and Blauforlaet, each with its own chapter in the struggle for freedom. The price paid for that freedom was high, as shown by the monuments along this route in Harkema and Surhuisterveen.
The capture of the bridge at Blauforlaet on 14 and 15 April 1945 is locally remembered as “the Battle of Blauforlaet.” On 14 April, the Royal Canadian Dragoons did not use the bridge at Blauwverlaat to advance — instead, they crossed at Kootstertille. It was there, on 14 April, that the Canadians crossed the Knillesdjip/Kolonelsdiep (now the Prinses Margriet Canal). This crossing laid the groundwork for their later success that same day and on 15 April: reaching the Wadden Sea.
Although the action by the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (BS) — the Dutch Interior Forces — at Blauwverlaat did not directly contribute to the Dragoons’ advance, it remains a powerful example of how the Frisian resistance went to great lengths to hasten the liberation. At least seventy resistance fighters were involved in the operation, engaging in heavy combat with the occupiers for many hours.
The occupation of the bridge is therefore remembered as an exemplary act of resistance against the occupier — and a symbolic moment in the fight for freedom.
