This year it’s a hundred years ago that on 11 November 1918 the Armistice put an end to the Great War. Link: More info by museum
On that same day Kaiser Wilhelm, who had taken refuge in the Netherlands, arrived at Amerongen Castle. At the request of the Dutch government Count van Aldenburg Bentinck accomodated him.
Initially Wilhelm was to stay for 3 days, but eventually his stay lasted 18 months.
In 2018 Amerongen Castle commemorates this historic period at length. From 3 June 2018 “Help, the Kaiser is coming “ takes the visitor back to the turbulent time of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II ’s stay.
Residents of Amerongen Castle
Daily life at Amerongen Castle was highly determined by the Kaiser’s presence. After his arrival the Castle grounds were firmly shut to the outside world. The press, the kidnap attempts and the many threatening letters caused a lot of tension within the Castle’s walls.
Thus the residents were unexpectedly involved in the aftermath of WW I. Therefore ”Help, the Kaiser’s coming” relates this historic episode from the residents’ point of view.
How did they experience this hectic period? How did they deal with this guest?
And how did the Kaiser behave?
End of an empire
On 28 November 1918 the Kaiser signed his abdication at Amerongen Castle. This meant the end of the German Empire and the reign of the Hohenzollern dynasty.
For a little while Amerongen was the centre of Europe, maybe of the world.
* More info in various languages at bottom of this post
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