DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Father and six kids hid in cellar for nine years, waiting for the end of days
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy



Related Stories

Pride month: A guide to pride events & LGBTQ+ rights in the NetherlandsPride month: A guide to pride events & LGBTQ+ rights in the Netherlands
Visiting the Dutch Caribbean: CuraçaoVisiting the Dutch Caribbean: Curaçao
Legal case against the Dutch government: Free contraception for allLegal case against the Dutch government: Free contraception for all
Witch trials in the NetherlandsWitch trials in the Netherlands
De Kringloopwinkel: Thrift shops in the NetherlandsDe Kringloopwinkel: Thrift shops in the Netherlands
Dutch namesDutch names
The HS code or Geharmoniseerd Systeem CodeThe HS code or Geharmoniseerd Systeem Code
Extra coronavirus measures announced for six regionsExtra coronavirus measures announced for six regions
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Manja van Kesteren

Managing Editor at IamExpat Media

Managing Editor at IamExpat Media. Manja studied English and Creative & Professional Writing at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK. She has been working as a content editor and SEO copywriter since 2007, in both the English and Dutch language. As any writer should, she is VERY passionate about books, as well as arts and crafts, Netflix, metal music, cheese, and her silly guinea pigs.Read more

Father and six kids hid in cellar for nine years, waiting for the end of days

Oct 15, 2019

Updated 16/10/2019 with new info

Broadcaster RTV Drenthe has just reported that the police in Drenthe have found a family hiding in the cellar of their farm in Ruinerwold, a village of around 4.000 people, waiting for the end of the world.

Confused man

The family was discovered after Chris Westerbeek, owner of local bar Café de Kastelein, contacted the police when a confused 25-year old man visited his bar twice on Sunday. “He looked around, bewildered,” Westerbeek told Dagblad van het Noorden. “This man looked unkept, had long tangled hair and said he needed help and had never been to school.”

RTV Drenthe reports that the man said the family has not been outside for at least nine years. 

Boarded-up farm

After being contacted by Westerbeek, the police went to the man’s house, a seemingly abandoned and boarded-up farm, and discovered a secret staircase leading down to a cellar. Inside, they found the man’s father and his five other children, aged between 18 and 25 years. The father was found in bed, as it appears he had a stroke years before. The mother died before the family moved to the farm.

It seems the family was able to stay off the grid, as they were completely self-sufficient; they kept a vegetable garden, a goat and a few geese. During a press conference, the mayor stated that some of the children were never registered at the municipality.

A 58-year old handyman from Austria, Josef B., rented the property where the family was hidden. He has been arrested. 

Many questions

For now, the police have taken the family to a holiday park. Investigations are ongoing and the area around the farm has been closed off. “There are many unanswered questions,” says Politie Drenthe.

By Manja van Kesteren