‘Monument to Reconstruction’ by Titus Leeser

The reclining woman symbolises Zutphen's wartime past; she has fallen and is literally ‘deprived’. The standing woman above her represents the rebuilding of the city after the Second World War. With her hair and dress blowing in the wind, she triumphantly raises her right arm. Her left hand rests dramatically on her forehead, symbolising the hardships endured.

Start of Reconstruction

After the liberation, Zutphen was left in ruins. Hardly a single house remained undamaged; hundreds were completely destroyed, while thousands more suffered varying degrees of damage. Infrastructure—including roads, bridges, railways, electricity, and water supply—was severely affected. As early as 1945, plans were drawn up to rebuild the city. Construction of the first new houses began in 1946. On June 21, that year, Mayor De Jonge laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction.