The survival of this bench is not just a matter of luck

For many years after that, the Ver Huell bench and the other waterside seat (the Cremer bench) were popular places for the many walkers in the area to rest their feet. In the Second World War, however, the lake became part of an anti-tank ditch and the whole area was blocked off by dragon’s teeth and angled iron stakes. By then, however, the benches had been carefully dismantled and safely stored away.

Since 1953, the Scheveningen Woods have been bisected by a multi-lane highway called the Professor B.M. Teldersweg. In 1956 the two benches were reinstalled, in slightly different positions but still overlooking the lake, which is now larger and different in shape from before the war. The view from the Ver Huell bench now includes two war memorials.