When the Allies prepared for an attack, the German occupiers intervened. The population had to leave. In villages such as Heel, Beegden, and Wessem, residents were ordered to leave their homes. Often with little time and only a few possessions, they departed for an uncertain future.Slowly, the villages emptied. Streets that had been lived in shortly before became silent. Houses were left behind, sometimes damaged, sometimes still furnished as if the residents could return at any moment. Thousands of people were displaced. Families moved away from the violence on foot, with handcarts, or by bicycle. Some residents found temporary accommodation elsewhere in surrounding villages such as Baexem and Heythuysen, while others were taken further away. What they leave behind is their home, often without knowing if they would ever see it again.When British and other Allied soldiers reach these villages, they encounter an unexpected sight: the villages are empty. To the soldiers, it feels as if they are not welcome but the reality is different: the inhabitants are no longer there. They have fled the violence that is still close at hand. In other parts of Limburg, too, villages are found deserted by the liberators.

Leeggelopen dorpen langs de Maas

Photos