Lost place names: Oostvaart

Where has Oostvaart gone? We can find Oostvaart in Belgium near Moerbeke in East Flanders, and also in the vicinity of Hazerswoude-Dorp. However, near Hazerswoude-Dorp, there is nothing to be found but meadows, a lot of water, and a few farms. No village or hamlet. Just a narrow path, the Oostvaartpad along the dike.

 

This refers to Oostvaart in the North-East Polder, which was drained on September 9, 1942. In 1943 and 1944, a barracks camp was established in the polder for the workers who were to make the polder suitable for large-scale agriculture. A small post station was established in that camp, belonging to the jurisdiction of the Zwartsluis post office. The station master received a date stamp and a wax seal. The post station was not so much intended to process letters and the like, but primarily to cash out money orders to the workers living in the barracks. The name Oostvaart was not retained for long. Only the emergency church located in barracks W 82 of Camp Oostvaart retained the name until June 1956. And not to forget, the Kamplaan. The barracks camp later became the village of Luttelgeest, and the post station was closed on December 31, 1947. Luttelgeest is now primarily known for the Orchideeënhoeve, a tropical paradise. And where the camp once stood, there is now a small patch of forest intersected by a bicycle path. We know of even more such camps in the North-East Polder where a postal establishment could be found from 1943, such as De Voorst, Emmeloord, Ens, Enservaart, Kadoelen, Lemstervaart, Luttelgeest, Marknesse, Marknesse-Zuid, Nagele (from 1948), Ramspol, Schokland, Schoterbrug, and Zwartemeer. A number have grown into villages and towns, but a number did not survive. Only the stamps remain as a reminder of that time. And did you know that the letters NOP had two meanings? During the Second World War, many residents of the 27 camps were in hiding because they were wanted by the German occupiers. They gave the letters the meaning of Dutch-Underground-Paradise….