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===Eerde===
[[File:eerde.jpg|thumb|Eerde Castle]]

About four kilometres ({{convert|4|km|1|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) south-east of Ommen and adjacent to the hamlet of [[Eerde (Ommen)|Eerde]] lies the castle Eerde, a castle in the Dutch-classical style from 1715, surrounded by a 1,667 [[hectare]] [[estate (house)|estate]] in the [[Baroque]] style managed by the [[Natuurmonumenten]] foundation since 1965.<ref name="Natuurmonumenten">Stichting Natuurmonumenten, [http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 '' Natuurgebied Eerde''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930010220/http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 |date=2006-09-30 }}</ref>

The name "Eerde" is a Saxon word meaning "earth". The first castle on this site was built in the 14th century, but was soon destroyed by the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht|bishop]]'s men in 1380 — along with the fortifications of the town of Ommen. In the centuries since, the [[Van Twickelo]], [[Van Renesse]] and [[Van Pallandt]] families have lived in castles on this site. The castle was used by the famous [[philosopher]] and [[spiritual teacher]] [[Jiddu Krishnamurti]], of whom Baron [[Philip van Pallandt]] was an avid follower, from about 1924 to just before the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Van Pallandt granted Krishnamurti a territory at the [[Besthmen|Besthemerberg]], north of Eerde. There Krishnamurti held his [[Order of the Star in the East]] lectures and meetings in front of audiences of thousands of people from dozens of countries.<ref name="Nevelzel">Gerrit Nevenzel, [http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/laird.niven/public_html/april_45.htm '' Kasteel Eerde''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010821225326/http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/laird.niven/public_html/april_45.htm |date=2001-08-21 }}</ref>

During the Second World War, a [[Nazi]] [[Internment|concentration camp]], ''[[Kamp Erika]]'', was situated at the Besthemerberg. Only eight Jews were detained here; the camp was designated mostly for Dutchmen convicted of black market trade or resistance to the occupational authorities. The camp was notorious for the brutal behaviour of its personnel, leading Dutch judges to refuse to send convicts there in 1943. The camp was turned into an ''Arbeitserziehungslager'' mostly for those refusing to do forced labour, but in the fall of 1944 it once again became a penal camp. The camp was liberated on 11 April 1945. From 1945 to 1946, the camp was instead used to detain Dutchmen who had [[collaborationism|collaborated]] with the [[History of the Netherlands (1939-1945)|German occupiers]]. Their treatment was not much better.<ref>Guusta Veldman ''Knackers achter prikkeldraad : kamp Erika bij Ommen, 1941–1945 '' (1993) {{ISBN|90-5345-037-8}} (in Dutch)</ref>

Nowadays the castle houses the private international boarding school Eerde, which offers the [[International Baccalaureate Organization|IB]] programme.<ref name="International School Eerde">{{cite web|url=http://www.eerde.nl/|title=International School Eerde -|work=eerde.nl}}</ref>