<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/18/battle-of-the-scheldt">Battle of the Scheldt Hiking Route</a>&nbsp;This route follows the history of one of the most significant battles of WWII, the Battle of the Scheldt. This series of military operations that took place in the autumn of 1944 forever changed the course of history of Zeeland and in West-Brabant.&nbsp;You’ll walk through the hills that separate Zeeland from Brabant, experiencing the landscape where the Allies fought to secure access to the Westerschelde river (the gateway to Antwerp’s port). Along the route, you’ll encounter reminders of the war, such as former Dutch Spanish <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2033/dutch-spanish-forts-still-of-use">forts</a> used by Polish soldiers in September 1944 or commemorative monuments like '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2015/the-dying-pole">The dying Pole</a>' or '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2025/the-fallen-warrior">the Fallen Warrior</a>'.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/68/in-the-footsteps-of-the-canadian-liberators">The Zeeland part of the Canadian Trail</a>&nbsp;You can explore the history of the Battle of the Scheldt and other significant WWII battles in the region by walking the Zeeland section of the "Hiking in the Footsteps of the Canadian Liberators" trail. This extensive route highlights the crucial role played by Canadian soldiers in the liberation of the Netherlands.&nbsp;Along the way, you will visit the key city of Flushing (Vlissingen), which was liberated by the Scots of the 5th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, during the Battle of the Scheldt. You will also learn about the Allied use of smoke screens to disorient German forces.&nbsp;Beyond the famous Battle of the Scheldt, the trail explores the broader wartime history of Zeeland. At the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/1145/memorial-40-45-kapelle">Memorial 40-45</a> in Kapelle, you will discover the story of the lesser-known French battle that took place in Zeeland in May 1940. In the village of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/1980/tragedy-of-s-gravenpolder">Gravenpolder</a>, you'll learn about the heavy price paid by its residents during the liberation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/79/polish-cycling-route-zeeland">Polish Cycling Route Zeeland</a>&nbsp;Polish soldiers played an essential but often forgotten role in liberating Zeeland. The Polish Cycling Route Zeeland sheds the light on their contributions. It is a part of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/83/national-polish-cycling-route-in-the-netherlands">National Polish Cycling Route</a> in the Netherlands which aims at raising awareness about the efforts of Polish soldiers during WWII in the Netherlands.&nbsp;The route starts at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/1143/war-museum-gdynia">Gdynia War Museum</a> and takes you through the towns and countryside where Polish troops fought. One key location is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/969/the-liberation-of-hulst">Hulst</a>, with its towering Saint Willibrordus Basilica, a lookout point used during the war.&nbsp;You’ll also encounter cemeteries, museums, and battlefields, including the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2029/polish-bridge-in-zaamslag">Polish Cross in Zaamslag</a> and the site of the fierce battle at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2032/battle-at-bonte-koe">Bontekoe</a>. The route highlights stories like that of Polish fighter pilot <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/2122/polish-spitfire-pilot-taken-prisoner">Tadeusz Jan Legowski</a>, who was captured near Hulst after his Spitfire was shot down. The audiospots present along the route will provide you with the opportunity to further enrich your knowledge on this topic.&nbsp;Zeeland’s hiking and cycling routes offer a unique opportunity to combine outdoor adventure with historical insight. Grab your shoes and backpack and experience these historical landscapes for yourself. Visit our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/">LRE website</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW166762881 BCX0" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.liberationroute.mobile&amp;pli=1">download</a> our hiking app so you can plan your trip!&nbsp;

Hiking & Cycling Routes in Zeeland 

Operation “Market” was the name of the airborne operation, the first part of OMG, carried out by British, US-American, and Polish airborne troops. More than 35,000 Allied soldiers were dropped over important Dutch bridges (over the rivers Meuse, Waal and Rhine) between Eindhoven and Arnhem with the aim to occupy them. Operation “Garden”, the second part of OMG, involved the advance of the ground troops, with the British XXX Army Corps having to relieve the airborne troops at the captured bridges as quickly as possible.&nbsp;Operation Market Garden, proposed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, was very ambitious, but ultimately failed to achieve its strategic goal. German resistance to the Allied conquest of the occupied territories was much fiercer than expected. In addition, bad weather conditions in England hampered the supply of reinforcements and supplies which were paramount for sustaining the bridgeheads along the rivers. The ground troops’ route of advance was cut off several times by the Wehrmacht and came to be known as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW77417285 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/pois/189/hells-highway">“Hell’s Highway”</a>.&nbsp;The Allied advance in the Netherlands&nbsp;On the morning of September 17, 1944, three divisions of the 1st Allied Airborne Army – the American 82nd and the 101st Airborne Armies and the British 1st Airborne Division started their journey in aeroplanes across the North Sea. They were dropped over strategic locations in the Netherlands, due to the weather conditions often longer distances away from the targeted bridges than anticipated. The city of Nijmegen in Gelderland played an important role during Operation Market Garden. With its two bridges over the Waal (the main branch of the Rhine), control of the city was vital to the planned advance on Arnhem.&nbsp;Glider infantry and paratrooper units were landed into the Arnhem area during OMG and faced the German troops in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW77417285 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/pois/181/the-battle-of-arnhem">Battle of </a>Arnhem (17 to 26 September 1944). The members of the British 1st Airborne Division at the Rhine bridge at Arnhem eventually ran out of ammunition, were beleaguered and then partly captured as prisoners of war on 21 September 1944. After nine days of fighting, the division’s remnants were evacuated during a night-time rescue mission called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW77417285 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/pois/680/operation-berlin">Operation </a>Berlin (25 to 26 September 1944).&nbsp;Covered by the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade and surrounded on three sides by superior German forces, approximately 2,400 men were withdrawn from the German-occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine. After this retreat, the Allies were unable to advance further and the front-line stabilised south of Arnhem. The road bridge at Arnhem became the proverbial “bridge too far”. It was later destroyed by advancing Allied troops, reopened in 1948 and named <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW77417285 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/pois/188/john-frost-bridge">John Frost Bridge</a> (John Frostbrug), a homage to the British airborne commander.&nbsp;The Aftermath of Operation Market Garden's Failure&nbsp;As a result of the failure of Operation Market Garden, the Allies had no choice but to launch a frontal and costly attack on the defensive lines of the German borders. This attack took place from 8 February to 11 March 1945 (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW77417285 BCX0" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/en/pois/185/operation-veritable">Operation Veritable</a>) and was part of the larger Rhineland Offensive. The operation was launched from the Nijmegen-Groesbeek area and from the province of Limburg.&nbsp;Although Operation Market Garden was not successful in its entirety, it did result in the liberation of millions of civilians in the southern regions of the Netherlands. The rest of the country had to wait for its liberation until 5 May 1945, which is celebrated annually as the national holiday “Liberation Day” (Bevrijdingsdag).&nbsp;

Operation Market Garden – an ambitious endeavour

As part of the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, numerous activities are planned in the Netherlands in September 2024. One important event is the Freedom Path, scheduled from 10 to 20 September 2024, reflecting on the famous Operation Market Garden - the failed attempt by the Allies to gain a foothold in this part of Europe. The walking relay leads through the provinces of Limburg (Netherlands and Belgium), North Brabant and Gelderland and follows the Liberation Route Europe <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW28693667 BCX8" href="https://www.liberationroute.com/themed-routes/15/operation-market-garden">Operation Market Garden cycling route</a>.&nbsp;Operation Market Garden was one of the largest Allied operations of World War II, taking place in September 1944 in northern Belgium and the Dutch provinces of North Brabant, Limburg, and Gelderland. This airborne operation, carried out by British, American, and Polish troops, aimed to control the bridges over the Meuse, Waal, and Rhine rivers. Despite its ambitious goals, the operation failed, leading to a difficult time for both the civilians and the soldiers displaced in the area. The war continued in Gelderland, Brabant, and Limburg&nbsp;until the complete liberation of the Netherlands in May 1945.&nbsp;The ‘Freedom Path’ initiative&nbsp;The ‘Freedom Path’ walking relay allows for a deeper reflection on these dramatic events in an active way. This 330-kilometre-long trail, divided into 22 stages of about 15 km each, crosses countries, provinces, and municipal borders, allowing participants to share their stories along the way.&nbsp;The relay, open to the public, starts on Tuesday, 10 September, in Leopoldsburg, Flanders (Belgium). In this location, the plans for Operation Market Garden were presented and the Allied ground troops gathered there in 1944. The route continues through North Brabant (via Eindhoven, Uden, and Grave, among others), Limburg (from the German military cemetery in Ysselsteyn), and Gelderland (via Nijmegen to the Airborne Region).&nbsp;The final part, on Friday, 20 September, will run from Oosterbeek (Netherlands) along the route of John Frost. Frost was an airborne officer of the British Army known for leading the small group of British airborne troops that reached Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem in Operation Market Garden. A special guest, Caroline Frost, John Frost's daughter, will lead the final kilometres, walking in her father's footsteps. On its last leg, the Freedom Path will join the commemorations of the Battle of Arnhem and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW191569445 BCX8" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/events/576/bridge-to-liberation">Bridge</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.europeremembers.com/events/576/bridge-to-liberation"> to Liberation</a> at the ‘Bridge Too Far’ in the presence of the veterans.Conclusion&nbsp;Participating in the Freedom Trail offers a unique chance to walk in the footsteps of those who lived through Operation Market Garden. As you walk, you’ll uncover their powerful stories and gain a multi-perspective view of this time in&nbsp;history. Along the way, events like the play "Behind the Horizon" at Vlagheide on 13 September and speeches throughout the relay will immerse you in a rich, cross-cultural dialogue.&nbsp;To take part in the Freedom Trail and to carry these powerful stories into the future, visit the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://vrijheidspad.org/en/">Freedom Path </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="Hyperlink SCXW209928561 BCX8" href="https://vrijheidspad.org/en/">website</a>. There, you will find all the practical information you need and can easily register for the relay.

Freedom Path: When Remembrance Becomes a Collective and Active Effort 

Before the war, Max Wolff's family had a fairly carefree existence, but after the German invasion of Holland, that changed. Starting in 1941, Max slept at hiding addresses for fear of being arrested. Later, the family's house was requisitioned by the Dutch SS. They were given one hour to pack their belongings and then had to leave.The Netherlands was no longer safe and the Wolff family decided to flee to Switzerland. During the flight, Max's sisters and brother-in-law were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz where they were murdered.Max and his parents were able to stay in hiding near Brussels, but when the Allied armies landed in Normandy in June 1944, Max decided he had to do something. The resistance smuggled him to France where he joined the Allied forces in Normandy. In the fall of 1944, Max returned to the Netherlands as a liberator.

The Netherlands

Max Wolff: From Refugee to Liberator

Program to be announced later.

Belgium

Nuts Weekend @ Bastogne War Museum

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France, the Département du Var and the Musée National de la Marine in Toulon are joining forces to highlight the landings on the Var coast on 15 August 1944.The exhibition Operation Dragoon. 1944, the Provence landings in photographs features a large number of photographs from French, British and American institutions, illustrating the preparation and conduct of this major yet little-known event of the Second World War.Opposite: A convoy of ships carrying the men of the 1st Army Corps set sail from Naples for France in preparation for the Allied landings on the coast of Provence (Operation Anvil-Dragoon) in August 1944.July to August: 10am-6pm dailySeptember to June: 10am-6pm every day except TuesdayClosed on 25 December and 1 January

France

Operation Dragoon 1944, the Provence Landing in Photographs

The relationship between love and war is intimate and as old as mankind. Under the threat of death, life and love are experienced much more intensely. World War II affected the love life of a whole generation of people. They - as always - got butterflies in their stomachs: in the air-raid shelter, in hiding, at the front or simply on the streets. The 'Love in wartime' exhibition, from 5 June 2024 to 30 March 2025, shows how people found each other under difficult circumstances. And how feelings can overcome everything. After all, what is 'right' or 'wrong' in love? In the 'Love in Wartime' exhibition, we see war from its most intimate, human side. From a boy who met his first boyfriend during forced labour in Germany to a newly married couple who survived Auschwitz, always looking for a sign that the other was still alive. These personal love stories often had major consequences, such as: the journey of thousands of wartime brides to and from the Netherlands, the at least as many children fathered by an Allied or German soldier, the persecution of homosexuals and large-scale paid love in the war years. Behind special curtains, adults can even peek into stories about wartime sex and admire vibrators from the 1940s.Love in Wartime is a unique exhibition that immerses visitors in the atmosphere of a cosy 1940s street with fully historically decorated rooms on either side. Behind one door is a living room, behind the other a hiding place or a café celebrating the liberation. This makes the exhibition an adventurous experience for young and old. The exhibition 'Love in wartime' is inspired by Steffie van den Oord's book of the same name, available in new print from 4 June 2024.The Freedom Museum shows the passionate story of love with unique masterpieces such as sheet music, diaries, love letters and wedding dresses. An intimate exhibition with never-before-seen material that will make your heart beat faster!

Love in Wartime

The overall programme includes many activities: A special commemorative opening by dignitaries, exhibition on the liberation of Hoofdplaat, educational day for the children, demonstration by the Riding Artillery Corps, performance Pipes &amp; Drums, performance Marine Band, etc.

Hoofdplaat 80 Years of freedom

From October 2024 to the end of 2025, the Thornsche Molen Foundation will present a cross-border project with the theme ‘Flights Then and Now’ as part of 80 years of Freedom.The theme was chosen with the background of the evacuation of the residents of the hamlet of Thornsche Molen at the time of WW2 at the end of September 1944. They had to flee the violence of war and so did many other groups and, of course, the residents on the German side of the border. We want and need to continue to commemorate the destruction of the hamlet but now, 80 years on, we are going to celebrate freedom above all! We will do so with the cooperation and involvement of our German neighbours! It is important to emphasise the preservation of our democracy and freedom with this project. We want to make an effort to involve the current generations and especially the youth in the project! The latter group is formed by schoolchildren from primary school Op Weg in Ooij and Grundschule Christophorus in Kranenburg. We also want to pay attention to the NOW refugees who can be found in our region, such as Syrians and Ukrainians.FREEDOM cannot be taken for granted and we must continue to fight for it!

Exhibition | Flights then and now

Led by a guide, we traverse the West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen polder area where evacuated people were sheltered on farms. Oostburg and Sluis are visited, including in Oostburg a visit to the post-war command post ‘Bunker Grote Beer’ and in Sluis the places where Jews were temporarily sheltered during the war. Starting point of the bicycle tour is the north side of the Sint Baafskerk, Sint Bavostraat 5, in Aardenburg.Participation is free of charge. Refreshments are at your own expense. Registration, stating the name of the event and the number of people, can be done by sending an e-mail to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:gidsengilde@cultuurforumaardenburg.nl">gidsengilde@cultuurforumaardenburg.nl</a>.

Theme Bike Tour: ‘Liberation of the Municipality of Sluis’

Inspired by a true story, you will experience this extraordinary period through the eyes of a former resident of the museum. As a young boy, he lived in the Open Air Museum during the evacuation of Arnhem. His voice guides you through the park, past 37 light projections, each depicting memories from that period. How did these people live? How did they get food? Did they have a kitchen? Did they have to work? Did children go to school?

Uitgelicht (Illuminated walk through the museum)

Walter Dierick tells how he experienced World War II as a schoolboy:‘My father was part of the Air Guard Corps in 1939-1940 and that's how I experienced mobilisation. Only a short time into custodial school, our country was overrun and the first bombs fell on Aardenburg. During the war, I kept my eyes and ears open and the events of September-October 1944 are etched in my memory. On 19 October 1944 I went along to bring in the Canadians via the Eedeweg.’ Walter Dierick (1937) recounts.Lecture in the Mennonite Church, Weststraat, Aardenburg.Participation is free.Refreshments are at your own expenseRegister via e-mail to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:gidsengilde@cultuurforumaardenburg.nl">gidsengilde@cultuurforumaardenburg.nl</a> stating the name of the event, date and number of participants.

Lecture: ‘Aardenburg: war and liberation’

Discover the stories behind the war and liberation of Roosendaal.City guide Theo de Munnik will take you from the station past the Liberation Monument on Parklaan to the cemetery on Bredaseweg.

Liberation cemetery walk

Drawn from the Memorial's collections, the American archives, documents from the Établissement de Communication et de Production Audiovisuelle de la Défense (ECPAD) and the archives of people living in the Valley, the exhibition reveals these events of November 1944 through previously unpublished photographs taken at the time. From Saales to Lutzelhouse, via Barembach and Saint Blaise, discover the advance of the troops, the faces of these liberating soldiers, the popular gatherings celebrating deliverance, but also the destruction and the discovery of the camps. This exhibition is translated in English and in German.Free Entrance.The project has been awarded the ‘Mission Libération’ label by the French government.

Dans les yeux de la Libération (In the eyes of the Liberation)

The Koetshuistuin commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Best by British soldiers of the 15th Scottish Division and the 51st Highland Division.During the ceremony, plaques will be unveiled bearing the names of the 171 Britons who died. Music will be provided by Harmonie St Caecilia, the Occasion Choir and backpiper Willie McVean. The ceremony will start at 6.30pm. Afterwards, at the initiative of Musical October Best, there will be a performance by the Marine Band of the Royal Navy in Best's sports hall.

Commemoration liberation Best

This is part of a ceremony that honours those who lost their lives fighting to liberate the Netherlands.

Ceremony at the Oosterbeek War Cemetery

As a member of the U.S. Artillery Aviation Unit, he played a vital role in surveillance and reconnaissance missions during D-Day and Operation Market Garden in 1944. For his service, he was awarded five medals of honor. 🎖️

Commemorate the end of WWII – 80 years later

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