Huis Doorn

The original structure was built in the 9th century, but was destroyed and rebuilt in the 14th century.[6] It was again rebuilt in the late 18th century in a conservative manner and yet again, in the mid-19th century. A park which surrounds the building was laid out as an English landscape garden.

Baroness Ella van Heemstra (1900–1984), the mother of actress Audrey Hepburn, spent much of her childhood living in the house.

Hermine Reuss of Greiz and Wilhelm II at Huis Doorn in 1933

Mausoleum of Wilhelm II

The property was purchased for 500,000 guilders in 1919 by Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor, as his residence-in-exile (1920–1941), following his abdication after World War I. During his years in exile, he was allowed to travel freely within a 15-kilometre radius of his house, but journeys farther than that meant that advance notice had to be given to a local government official. As he disliked having to kowtow to a minor official, he rarely journeyed beyond the "free" limit. The former Emperor regularly exercised by chopping down many of the estate's trees, splitting the logs into stacks of firewood, thereby denuding the matured landscape as the years progressed. Hence he was called by his enemies "The Woodchopper of Doorn".

Wilhelm's asylum in the Netherlands was based on family ties with Queen Wilhelmina, whom, some claim, he embarrassed by his political statements. In fact, Wilhelm rarely spoke publicly, while in exile, although a recorded interview of 1931 does exist, spoken in English. It reveals anti-Semitic views he possessed.

His first wife, Augusta nicknamed Dona, died at Huis Doorn 11 April 1921 and her body was taken back to Potsdam in Germany, where she was buried in the Antique Temple. Wilhelm could only accompany her on her last journey as far as the German border.

In January 1922, Wilhelm invited the widowed princess Hermine of Greiz and her young son to Huis Doorn. He took a liking to Hermine's company, they had much in common and got married on November 5, 1922. Hermine lived in Huis Doorn with Wilhelm in his exile until his death in 1941. She then returned to Germany and after her death, she was also interred in the Antique Temple in Potsdam due to being Wilhelm's second wife. Hermine undertook the property management of Huis Doorn, and in 1927 she wrote her autobiographical book An Empress in Exile: My Days in Doorn.[7]

In 1938, Wilhelm's grandson, Prince Louis Ferdinand, was married to Grand Duchess Kira of Russia, in Huis Doorn.

On the outbreak of war in 1939, Lord Dunsany wrote a satirical poem about the possible near future, when Wilhelm might welcome another refugee into neutral Holland (ie Hitler):

SONG AFTER DOORN

Well well, you’ve come! You’ll find the work here light;

No ceremonial; we live simply here;

A cup of cocoa in my room at night

And, very rarely, a small glass of beer.

I shall expect you always to be neat,

And keep things tidy. Breakfast is at nine.

We lunch at one, at half-past twelve you eat,

Then you bring tea at five. At eight we dine.

My royal sons may sometimes come to call:

You merely lay an extra place, or more.

I'm sure they will not trouble you at all

And, by the way, why DID you make that war?

This possibility was ended by the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940. On their arrival at Huis Doorn, Wilhelm and his household went undisturbed by the Wehrmacht.

Five of Wilhelm's beloved dachshunds are buried in the park. A marker is dedicated to the memory of his dog, Senta, who was a favourite of Wilhelm and died in 1927 at the age of 20.

Wilhelm II died of a pulmonary embolism at Huis Doorn, on 4 June 1941, with German occupation soldiers on guard at the gates of his estate. He lies in a maroon-coloured coffin, above the ground, in a small mausoleum in the gardens, to await his return to Germany upon the restoration of the Prussian monarchy, according to the terms of his will. His wish that no swastikas be displayed at his funeral was not heeded.

The dining room in 2013

The Dutch government seized the manor house and its household contents in 1945 and, since then, many new trees have been planted and the wooded parkland is being returned to its earlier glory.

Huis Doorn opened its doors as a historic house museum in 1956.[1] It is presented just as Wilhelm left it, with marquetry commodes, tapestries, paintings by German court painters, porcelains and silver. The collection also includes Wilhelm's collections of snuffboxes and watches that had belonged to Frederick the Great.

In June each year, a devoted band of German monarchists still come to pay their respects and lay wreaths, accompanied by marchers in period uniforms and representatives from modern monarchist organisations, such as Tradition und Leben of Cologne.

The house became a national heritage site or rijksmonument in 1997.[6]

In 2019, the museum had 54,000 visitors.[3]

Dutch Rijksmonument 506961

• Media related to Huis Doorn at Wikimedia Commons
• Huis Doorn, official website
• "How A German Soldier Still Loves His Dead Kaiser": annual ceremonies at the Wilhelm's mausoleum - DEAD LINK