For years, the Administration Building or 'Old Casino' in Huisduinen was a controversial reminder of the war history of the city of Den Helder. But now that this period is further behind us, new impulses are coming to keep the memory of this meaningful period in our history alive. The former German navy administrative building in Huisduinen – the Casino – now houses the Atlantic Wall Centre. In the centre you can find a lot of information about Den Helder during WWII. The Atlantic Wall Centre is also the starting point of the Atlantic Wall in the Wadden. Here we show the photos of the casino before the fire in 2009. The entrance doors inside. It is a fine example of Nazi architecture. Urbexing the 1942 'Casino' at Huisduinen, Den Helder. The building was part of the Second World War Kriegsmarine Artillerie Zeugamt, as part of the Atlantikwall defences in Nazi occupied Holland.
As in other places in the Netherlands, much of the Atlantic Wall in Den Helder disappeared after the war. But fortunately, several exceptional buildings survived. At the beginning of this century, one bunker and two building complexes were added to the list of national monuments: the communications bunker adjacent to the current station, the infirmary on the Nieuwe Weg and the artillery park in Huisduinen. Strangely enough, the Flakgruppencommandostand, commonly known as the ‘Kroontjesbunker’, is not on the list although it is the only one of its kind in Western Europe. This is also the case for the two bunkers of Battery Zanddijk near Strandslag Zandloper (path to the beach).
A few crew bunkers from the new southern front at Blauwe Keet are still visible, as is the last bit of anti-tank ditch with a bunker for flanking artillery at the very end. On the side, towards the dunes, a piece of dragon’s teeth obstacle can still be seen but the artillery bunkers are now buried in the sand. The Mammut bunker is located at Blauwe Keet, but it too is buried in the dune sand. The command bunker on the Nollenterrein is still there, as is the hospital bunker in the Timorpark. The anti-aircraft artillery battery at Fort Dirks Admiraal is also still intact.
Oude Casino Huisduinen
A route has been created along the bunkers in Den Helder. The route map is available at Fort Kuikduin.