#Story
Six war victims
Trees have been planted in this circle in memory of six war victims: Gerrit Hiddink, a brave resistance fighter; Antonia Tichelman, a grandmother who suffered terrible misfortune; Jantje Esselink, a cheerful young boy; and Jan Westra, a person in hiding who was betrayed.
As you walk the Freedom Trail, you will find signs with QR codes along the way that tell you more about these individuals. These codes are placed at or near the places where they lived or went into hiding in Geesteren. Co van den Brink, a military policeman in hiding, and Jaap Rijsdijk, another person in hiding who died under tragic circumstances, are also commemorated as war victims from Geesteren.
When you walk the Memorial Path, you will come across QR codes marking the location of the Jewish Meijers family’s home and the hiding places of Co and Jaap in our village.
Vrijheidsbos (Liberty Forest)
The village of Geesteren created a commemorative forest, Vrijheidsbos Geesteren, in honour of 75 years of freedom in the Netherlands. The forest integrates remembrance, education, recreation and nature. The idea for this forest emerged following research into the 12 World War II victims from Geesteren.
Today, the Liberty Forest also offers the opportunity for people to plant memorial trees of their own. This way, the forest continues to grow into an inspiring and peaceful place for everyone.