September 2024 – LRE Foundation

On Wednesday, September 25th, a new series of Liberation Route Europe cycling routes was launched at the Maczek Memorial in Breda: the Polish Trails Network. This project was developed in collaboration with partners including the Gdynia Museum, Maczek Memorial Breda, Stichting Polen-Driel, and Brabant Herinnert, with support from the Polish Embassy in the Netherlands. Funded by Vfonds, the initiative features a national cycling route and five local routes that trace the paths of Polish forces in the Netherlands during World War II.

The national route of the Polish Trails Network stretches from Zeeland to Groningen, shedding light on the often-overlooked stories of Polish pilots, aircrews, paratroopers and armoured divisions.

The 1^st Polish Armoured Division (formed in Great Britain in 1942 by those who fled Poland after its fall in 1939), led by General Stanisław Maczek, played a pivotal role in liberating Breda and parts of the Noord-Brabant province. Additionally, the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, led by Major General Stanisław Sosabowski, made significant contributions to the liberation of the country, with many soldiers sacrificing their lives during Operation Market Garden. Despite their significant contribution to the liberation of Europe, many Polish soldiers could not return to communist Poland after the war due to the threat of persecution by the new regime. Many of them remained in exile, leading to their stories being largely forgotten by people in Europe.

The national route interconnects five local cycling routes, each rich in historical significance:

Polish Cycling Route Driel-Oosterbeek: This path, which begins and finishes at the ‘Information Centre: The Poles of Driel’, focuses on Operation Market Garden and the efforts of Major General Sosabowski and his men.

Polish Cycling Route Zeeland: Beginning from the Gdynia Museum, riding this route, visitors will commemorate and learn about the events surrounding the Battle of the Scheldt.

Polish Cycling Route Breda, highlights the liberation of Breda by the 1st Armoured Division under General Maczek’s command.

Polish Cycling Route Drenthe and the Polish Cycling Route Groningen, which focus on the major contribution of Polish soldiers in the two regions.

The launch event at Maczek Memorial Breda was well-attended, with over 60 people present. During the event, Wout van Aalst, Project Officer at the LRE Foundation, presented the project and emphasized the unique nature of the Polish Trails Network, as it is the first cycling route in the Netherlands that connects various historical sites, stories, and museums related to Polish contributions during WWII.

The event concluded with a presentation by Jack Didden, author of the guidebook for the Polish Trails Network in Breda.

On 22 September 2024, 80 years after the first liberation of the Grand-Duchy, the new Liberation Route Luxembourg trails were launched at an official event in the city of Ettelbruck. These hiking trails extend across the whole country and allow us to discover the history of Luxembourg during the Second World War, from occupation to liberation.

A celebratory event held on Sunday saw the newly created Liberation Route Luxembourg officially launched in the presence of many invited guests. Luxembourg’s Minister Delegate for Tourism and Minister of Culture Eric Thill had the honour of unveiling Liberation Route Europe’s newest Vector of Memory, commemorating the double liberation of the Grand-Duchy. Designed by renowned US-American architect Daniel Libeskind, the vectors serve as trailmarkers, highlighting significant locations, individuals, and stories along the transnational Liberation Route Europe. 

A 280 kilometers national trail running the whole length of Luxembourg has been created, as well as smaller routes connecting it. Along the trail, around 70 points of interest have been identified, which tell personal and collective stories from different phases of the Second World War from a multitude of perspectives. One highlight along the trail is the new themed route “The Second World War in the city of Luxembourg”, which gathers significant remembrance sites in the Grand-Duchy’s capital. The network of routes explores the country’s wartime history since its invasion by German troops on 10 May 1940, with sites and stories of resistance, forced conscription, persecution and liberation.

“The Luxembourg Trails are a valuable addition to the Liberation Route Europe trails network which highlights the many sites and stories of Luxembourg’s rich Second World War history,” Emerald Johnson, the responsible LRE Project Officer explains. “From stories of occupation and deportation to forced conscription and resistance, this project encourages visitors to not only remember this important history, but to spend time outside and follow the route of Luxembourg’s liberation.”

 The launch of the new Luxembourg Trails took place during a whole weekend of festivities in Ettelbruck from Friday 20 September to Sunday 22 September 2024. Presenting the newly refurbished General Patton Square and holding different commemorative ceremonies throughout the city, the City of Ettelbruck and the General Patton Memorial Museum shed a light on the importance of remembering the Battle of the Bulge and the country’s double liberation on 11 September and 25 December 1944 respectively.

Family members of U.S. General George S. Patton, the famous liberator of the “Patton Town of Luxembourg” (Ettelbruck), were participating in the commemorations and laid flowers at the newly revealed Patton statue. The weekend’s festivities ended with a military parade by soldiers of different nations, a display of historical WW2 vehicles and a concert performed by the Grand-Ducal and Municipal philharmonic orchestra of Ettelbruck.

Commenting on the significance of the new trails, Eric Thill, Minister Delegate for Tourism and Minister for Culture said: “The Liberation Route Europe not only symbolizes the liberation of our continent from Nazi oppression, but it also embodies the fundamental values of European society: democracy, peace and solidarity between the nations. By staking out the Liberation Route Luxembourg, we are affirming our commitment to defending these principles and reminding ourselves that the construction of Europe is based on sacrifice and the unity of the people in the face of tyranny”.

Month: September 2024

LRE Foundation launched a network of cycling trails commemorating Polish liberators in the Netherlands.

The Liberation Route Luxembourg trails network is officially launched in Ettelbruck