Six locations with personal stories.&nbsp; Each outdoor exhibition focuses on personal stories of residents of that location, told through images, text and historical sources. Visitors are taken into the dilemmas that residents faced during wartime and have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of freedom and choices today.Opening on 10 April 2025 The official opening of Freedom of Choice will take place on 10 April 2025. All six locations will be opened that day, starting in Tiel. During this opening, speakers, relatives and those involved will put the stories of the time into perspective. After the opening, the exhibitions will remain open to the public free of charge for the next few yearsThe Freedom of Choice project is part of 80 Years of Freedom Gelderland, a broad programme of commemorations, activities and exhibitions that reflect on the liberation of the Netherlands and the lasting value of freedom. More information For more information about Choice Freedom, the exhibition locations and the programme of 80 Years of Freedom Gelderland, please visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://wo2rivierengebied.nl">wo2rivierengebied.nl</a>. This portal can be visited after the outdoor exhibitions open, from 10 April 2025.

The Netherlands

Six outdoor exhibitions showing personal stories from the Second World War

The exhibition covers the period from the mid-17th century, when a sandbank known as the Western Bank formed at the mouth of the Vistula River, to mid-1941, when the Westerplatte branch of the German Stutthof concentration camp for civilian prisoners was closed.The location of the exhibition is not coincidental – it is the historic former Power Plant building of the Polish Military Transit Depot, renovated and arranged for exhibition purposes. The exhibition features the archaeological discoveries related to the site, the everyday life of the depot, the difficult and responsible service of Polish soldiers in the face of growing hatred of the Germans towards Polish presence in the area of the Free City of Gdańsk, and the camp for Polish civilian prisoners set up by the Germans after the seven-day battle (1–7 September 1939). The curators aim to make visitors aware that Westerplatte is not only a peninsula heroically defended by a small unit of Polish soldiers, but also the site of German crimes against Polish civilians. The exhibition also intends to highlight the symbolic significance of Westerplatte as the place where the Second World War began.Start your visit at Westerplatte with the Visitor Centre [Centrum Obsługi Zwiedzających ‘Pole Bitwy Westerplatte’]. At the information desk, you will obtain information related to the history of Westerplatte. Assistance in planning the route, finding a guide and information will help discover the monuments in the area. The building overlooking the sea provides visitors with a rest stop. It is adapted for people with disabilities.

Poland

Exhibition ‘Memory buried beneath the surface. Archaeology of Westerplatte’

The exhibition “My Childhood, 1939-1945” explores the daily lives of French and Canadian children during the Second World War and the war’s impact on civilian populations, particularly on youth.How did youth navigate this era, how were they transformed by the war, and how, for French children, did they experience the Occupation, the liberation, the battles, and the post-war reconstruction?Through immersive modules and testimonies, the exhibition compares the realities of the Occupation in France and the impact of the war on children in Canada.Visitors will better understand how childhoods were disrupted, their adaptations to new daily routines and how they experienced grief, gratitude toward Canadian soldiers, and regained freedom.The stories will be presented through several key themes:<ul><li>The Weight of Occupation (1940–1944) at school and at home</li><li>D-Day (June 6, 1944)</li><li>The Battle of Normandy (June–September 1944)</li><li>Liberation and the scars of war (1944 to today)</li><li>The “absences” experienced by French and Canadian children</li></ul>Learn more here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.junobeach.org/exhibitions/my-childhood-1939-1945/">https://www.junobeach.org/exhibitions/my-childhood-1939-1945/</a>

Six outdoor exhibitions showing personal stories from the Second World War

Mémoire écrite dans le sol, L’archéologie de Westerplatte

Exhibition: "My childhood, 1939-1945" at Juno Beach Centre

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Six outdoor exhibitions showing personal stories from the Second World War

Mémoire écrite dans le sol, L’archéologie de Westerplatte

Exhibition: "My childhood, 1939-1945" at Juno Beach Centre

Inscrivez votre événement sur Europe Remembers