Achterveld is a village in the central

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. It is a part of the municipality of

Leusden Leusden () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. It is located about 3 kilometres southeast of Amersfoort. The western part of the municipality lies on the slopes of the Utrecht Hill Rid ...

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

and is located about 8 km east of

Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht, Netherlands. As of 31 January 2023, the municipality had ...

. A small part of the village is located in Barneveld. The village is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

enclave in a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

region. It has a

neo-romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

church. In 2001, the village of Achterveld had 1616 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.50 km², and contained 651 residences.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Bevolkingskernen in Nederland 2001''
. (Statistics are for the continuous built-up area). The statistical area "Achterveld", which also can include the peripheral parts of the village, as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2570.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Statline: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2003-2005''
. As of 1 January 2005. On 28 to 30 April 1945, Achterveld was the scene of high-ranking talks now known as 'The Achterveld Conference' between the Allied command (among others, General Foulkes of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and General Bedell Smith of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

), Sir Francis de Guingand of the United Kingdom, Prince Bernhard of the

, Ivan Susloparov of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and the occupying German government of the Netherlands, headed by 'Reichskomissar'

Arthur Seyss-Inquart Arthur Seyss-Inquart (; ; 22 July 1892 16 October 1946) was an Austrian Nazi politician who served as Chancellor of Austria in 1938 for two days before the ''Anschluss''. His positions in Nazi Germany included deputy governor to Hans Frank in t ...

, and his aides. They discussed urgent food-help for the starving cities in the west of Holland, which Seyss-Inquart allowed, and which started the day after, 29 April, by plane from England, code-named

Operation Manna Operation Manna was the Code word (communication), codeword for a Second World War operation by the British and Greek forces in Greece in mid-October 1944, following the gradual withdrawal of the Axis Occupation of Greece, German occupying for ...

. The Allies tried to start negotiations about an unconditional German surrender. Seyss-Inquart did not want to comply there and then, although a general

cease-fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...

was convened. The Germans ceased their resistance only on 5 May following, in

Wageningen Wageningen () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a historic city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specialises in life sciences. The municipality had a ...

.Dr

Loe de Jong Louis "Loe" de Jong (24 April 1914 in Amsterdam – 15 March 2005 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch historian who specialised in the Netherlands in World War II and the Dutch resistance. De Jong studied history and social geography at the University of Am ...

: Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog ('The Kingdom of the Netherlands during the Second World War'), SDU, 1966–81

Gallery

File:Achterveld (Leusden) Juliana Staete 38.jpg, Apartment buildings with shops File:Achterveld (Leusden) gem. monument Hessenweg 311 37.jpg, House in Achterveld File:Achterveld Eendenvijver.jpg, Duck pond File:Restaurant-Partycenter "de Klaveet" near Achterveld - panoramio.jpg, Party centre De Klaveet

Sport

* Tour de junior, annual bicycle race

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Utrecht (province) Leusden Barneveld (municipality)