Lost place names: Wittebrug

Wittebrug, a hamlet situated between The Hague, Wassenaar, and Scheveningen. When it was decided in 1828 to construct a canal between the center of The Hague and Scheveningen, bridges also had to be built across it. A bridge near the Malieveld and a bridge at what is now Madurodam. This latter bridge was named Koninginnebrug but was soon renamed Witte Brug.

The reason was that the entire bridge was painted white with striking enclosed balustrades. The bridge existed from 1832 to 1873. At the four corners of the bridge, oil lamps burned at night, forming the only lighting between The Hague and Scheveningen. Currently, two bridges stand in the place of the Witte Brug: one built in 1950 and the other for tram traffic in 1968. On June 1, 1906, a subsidiary post office was established in the hamlet of Witte Brug, which had by then grown into a residential area: Service Order No. 239 of May 23, 1906: Effective June 1st, a subsidiary post and telegraph office will be established in The Hague near the Wittebrug there. In the alphabetical list of municipalities, etc., under The Hague, Branch Office 11. Wittebrug is to be included. Unfortunately, the stamp book containing impressions of large circular cancellations has been lost, so no examples of these can be shown. However, there are some impressions on postage stamps, including a first day of use! The stamps remained in use for a long time, and this was noticed by stamp collectors: The following report was included in the July 1928 issue of the *Nederlandsch Maandblad voor Philatelie*: Thanks to the valued cooperation of Messrs. Bogaard and Nieuwenhuyzen, we can state that the old large circular stamp (type 1895), in addition to Maartensdijk (Utrecht), is still in service at the auxiliary offices at 2nd Exloërmond, Hardenberg, Heeten, Kolham, Uden, and at the district office 's Gravenhage 11 (Wittebrug).

The old large-round stamps had no serial number, but because one of the two stamps was worn out, a new stamp was ordered in 1920. This short-bar type stamp was in service from November 10, 1920, up to and including November 18, 1943. The second large-round stamp was replaced in 1929. The new stamp was given serial number 2 and was in use from November 13, 1929, up to and including November 18, 1943. It was striking that the name of the branch office was displayed here as Witte Brug. The old name of the hamlet!

The closure of the branch office in 1943 was by order of the German occupying forces. 45.000 residents of Scheveningen and The Hague had to leave their homes for the construction of the Atlantic Wall, the defensive line along the entire Dutch coast.

However, on July 1, 1946, the branch office was reopened. The stamp with serial number 1 remained in use up to and including December 31, 1969, when it was replaced by a cylinder bar stamp. Stamp number 2 was replaced on September 8, 1953, and on May 18, 1966, a new stamp with serial number 3 was put into use.

On February 2, 1976, the name of the branch post office was changed. From then on, it was to be called Van Lennepweg. The Wittebrug stamps were gradually replaced. The branch office was initially located at number 19, the former home and studio of the painter Willem Maris, who had moved to number 14. Later, the branch office moved to number 22 until it was closed on October 1, 1999. With that, another piece of history of The Hague and Scheveningen had disappeared. Or do you not see it that way?