Suchergebnisse

"Historical research into disasters and disaster processing has expanded enormously in recent years. The threat of climate disasters and pandemics is raising awareness that disasters have a major impact on community development. The period 1755-1918 also saw numerous disasters that affected Dutch society, such as the Leiden gunpowder disaster of 1807, several cholera outbreaks and large-scale river floods. Volcanic eruptions and flooding were recurring phenomena in the colonies. And then there were major international disasters, such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and the Spanish flu in 1918. Crisis and Catastrophe examines the influence of these catastrophes on belief in God, solidarity and charity, and local and national identity formation. Attention is also paid to the cultural representation of disasters in literature, paintings and memorial books."

The Cold War was a tense time. The Netherlands took precautions to protect its people from potential disasters, in particular nuclear threats. One crucial aspect of this was the establishment of the Civil Defence Corps. The organisation played a key role in setting up command stations and training centres, such as the one in Overvoorde, Rijswijk, near The Hague, which ran exercises and training to prepare people for possible disasters. From large practice ruins to advanced alarm systems, the complex was fully equipped to deal with a broad range of threats. Although the threat of a nuclear attack subsided and the Civil Defence was officially disbanded in 1985, these command stations retained their importance. Many of them have since been repurposed, from storage sites to museums. The bunkers in Overvoorde now serve as an educational centre under the management of Korpora, the Public Safety Heritage Centre. By preserving these sites, we can ensure that future generations can learn from the past and the sacrifices that were made for their safety.

This report contains the results of a RAND Europe research project undertaken for the multidepart-mental project team "Project Independent Investigation of Disasters and Accidents" (PRO for its Dutch name Project Onafhankelijk Onderzoek Rampen en Ongevallen), organized under the Directorate General for Public Order and Safety of the Dutch Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations