Reconstructing what happened in Dresden
Public presentation for the Ontario Genealogical Society on March 14, 2025
We want to acknowledge the passing of Jacob Drenth on February 17, 2025. Jacob was the second son of Hendrik Drenth who died in the Dresden cave-in. Like his brother, Chris, who passed away in the fall, Jake will be greatly missed by his family. This is a reminder of why we’re working to save the story of the Dresden tragedy.
(L) Jacob Drenth at 18 in 1950, right before emigrating with his family. The photo on the right was taken behind their first house in Canada. Jacob is in the middle, next to his sister Geertje and his older brother Chris.
Online Presentation on March 14 at 7pm
Along with other work on Dresden 1957, our research continues and we are still finding new information and new people who can tell us more about what happened. If you’re interested in learning more about our research and how we are piecing this story together, please join director Eric Philpott on Friday March 14.
The Dresden Cave-in is a public presentation for the Kent chapter of the Ontario Genealogical Society. We'll tell the story of the tragedy, the research behind it, and the process of turning this into a documentary film.
Registration is free. Sign-up for the presentation here.
Spreading the word to other groups
Along with this public presentation, we’re taking every opportunity to build the community around this projec
Horticultural/Rotary Dinner, Dresden, April 7
Eric Philpott will be speaking at a dinner held by the Horticultural Society in Dresden. This will be a chance to meet with Dresden locals, tell them about our documentary project and possibly hear family memories of the tragedy from attendees.
Canadian Association of Netherlandic Studies, May 31-June 1
Eric will present the Dresden 1957 project at a conference for Netherlandic Studies, taking place in Toronto at the end of May. This will be a fantastic opportunity to create awareness in the academic community of the Dresden tragedy, and perhaps find help with research.
Interested in a presentation?
If your organization or community group would like to hear about the Dresden 1957 story and our documentary project, please contact us!