The Art of Remembrance project has officially launched its call for artists, offering a unique opportunity for creatives to immerse themselves in the history and memory of World War II. This ambitious initiative, developed in collaboration with Tempora, the City of Bastogne , La Coupole Museum , the Nuto Revelli Foundation , and the Sybir Memorial Museum, invites artists from across the globe to participate in a residency program that reimagines how we connect with the past through contemporary art.
At the heart of the Art of Remembrance project is the belief that art has the power to bridge generations and inspire new ways of thinking about history. By engaging with the narratives of World War II, artists will contribute to a collective effort to preserve and reinterpret the legacy of one of the most defining periods in human history.
Four historically significant WWII remembrance sites in Europe will host the residencies, each offering a distinct perspective on the war’s impact. These sites, steeped in history and memory, will provide artists with access to archives, artifacts, and local communities. The resulting works will form part of a traveling exhibition, connecting audiences across Europe with the themes of memory, resilience, and reflection.
The project is supported by an international partnership of cultural and historical organizations and co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme. Together, the partners aim to foster dialogue between past and present, art and history, and people across borders.
This call marks the beginning of a two-year journey for the Art of Remembrance project, offering a platform for artists to create works that resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. Whether through painting, sculpture, installation, or other forms, the residencies will allow participants to explore the legacies of WWII in meaningful and innovative ways.
For more information about the residency program and how to apply, visit the Call for Proposalssection of the Art of Remembrance website. The deadline for applications is February 5, 2025.
At the start of this year, LRE Foundation and its partners began the implementation of ‘Retracing the Footsteps: A Transnational Journey of Canadian Liberation in WWII (REFOOT)’. Supported by funding from the European Interreg North-West Europe programme, the project aims to create a transnational hiking trail that follows the path of Canadian soldiers involved in the liberation of Western Europe during the Second World War. We caught up with Emme Johnson, Project Officer at LRE Foundation, who is leading the project to hear more about it.
Can you tell us a bit about the project and the role of LREF?
The Foundation is leading the project, so we are working with local partners in France, Germany and Belgium to implement it in the four countries in which the trails will be located (BE, FR, DE, NL). Building on the existing Canadian Trail that we created in the Netherlands, we wanted to highlight the history of the Canadian Troops who helped liberate Europe at the end of the war on an international level, and so this project was born.
The new sections of the Canadian Trails will connect the stories of the Canadian soldiers’ journey, from France to Germany via Belgium and the Netherlands, connecting sites like memorials, museums and villages that were important along the way. Once completed, members of the public will be able to discover this history by hiking the trails, either in shorter distances at a local level, or challenging themselves to follow the longer, national and transnational routes.
Who else is involved in the project?
To make sure we highlight a variety of stories in each country, the Foundation is working with several international project partners who have expertise on the topic at a local level. These include:LRE France, the Juno Beach Centre (France), and the For Freedom Museum (Belgium).We also have associated partners supporting the project, including theJuno Beach Centre Association (Canada) who cooperate on the historical aspect of the project, andthe French Hiking Federation, European Ramblers Association (Germany), and Stichting Wandelnet (Netherlands), who we consult regarding the hiking trails we use for the routes.
What’s the latest on the project?
So far, we have created a map of all the sites (points of interest) that we would like to include in the trails, for example museums, memorials, locations where a key event occurred etc. There are 200 altogether! We’ve also mapped the international and local hiking routes in the four countries and how they connect with these locations, and at the moment we are finalising the trails we will use. Some of the historians and partners working with us have also started to write the historical content, and this will be a big focus over the next months. We will be working to bring all of the interesting sites and stories together to create the final product, our transnational hiking trail!
Why is this project important for you?
I think it’s easy to see the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War almost as a singular event – that we were at war and then once it ended we celebrated together. But it is much more complex than this, and the experiences of liberation varied hugely for people, both soldiers and civilians, depending on where they were geographically. There are some very tragic and moving stories which took place even in the last days of war whilst in other places celebrations took place. This project shows how, even among a small group of countries, the liberation took its time.Each region and village experienced it differently, and it took huge and continued efforts from the armies, in this case the Canadian army, for entire countries to be fully liberated.
How is this project important for local communities?
This project brings a lot of interesting benefits to the wider public. Not only does it highlight history that is lesser known, the more local stories and places, but it provides a great resource for many different people to discover. Whether you’re a keen hiker, a history enthusiast, a young family looking for a day out, or a local who has lived in town for many years but had no idea of the history right on your doorstep, the trails have something to offer everyone!
As a final question, what makes this project special for you?
Highlighting the experiences of so many different places, the stories of the people there and their interactions with the soldiers when they arrived, is really interesting for me. I also like that these trails can take visitors to new places you may not know, like a small village, but also to places that are familiar, like more famous cities, and then reveal a whole new experience there by telling a certain history that you didn’t know before. Combining this history with walking routes is a great way to enable people to explore at their own pace and learn more about Europe’s history and culture. For me this project is a way to preserve important historical events, memories and experiences whilst encouraging people to be active and get outside, and I think that’s a great combination.
The LRE Foundation is thrilled to announce that registration for the LRE Forum 2025 is officially open! Our annual event, running from March 10 to March 13, 2025, promises an enriching experience for all attendees and will take place in the historic city of Krakow, Poland.
Organized by the LRE Foundation in collaboration with LRE Poland and the City of Krakow, the LRE Forum 2025 offers a four-day schedule tailored to members, partners, and stakeholders in tourism and cultural heritage. The programme includes panel discussions as well as various networking opportunities with international organizations associated with WWII, historical tourism, and international travel.
Key Highlights Include:
On March 11, the LRE Member Seminar offers an excellent opportunity to exchange best practices and learn about the latest initiatives from the Foundation and its network. Moreover, two workshops will be organised: one on WWII Heritage and Sustainable Tourism and another on Artificial Intelligence and WWII Heritage.
On the same day, the LRE Conference, titled “Resistance to Oblivion – Preserving WWII Memories and Lessons for Future Generations”, will feature a lineup of speakers, panel discussions, and interviews, focusing on diverse strategies for preserving the memory of WWII for future generations. The day concludes with a Gala Dinner, a wonderful opportunity to network with Foundation members, key partners, and sponsors.
On March 12, the LREXPO will bring representatives from memorial sites, museums and tourism destinations together with travel industry professionals from Europe and North America for further networking moments.
In the final days, members will join the site visits and explore the most historically significant locations in Krakow and its surroundings, including a tour of the Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factor and the area of the former ghetto, and a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum.
Whether you are part of the LRE network or a professional in the field of history and tourism, the LRE Forum 2025 offers an experience for growth, collaboration, and inspiration.
Register now to secure your place at our annual event. Click here to register.
For more information about the programme, please visit our website. For any inquiries or additional information, feel free to contact us at event@liberationroute.com.
LRE UK is excited to announce its newest partner, the University of Portsmouth. After several years of positive cooperations with the university, we are pleased to make this partnership official and look forward to continuing and expanding our work with them. As part of this cooperation, under coordination of Dr Rob James, Senior lecturer in Cultural and Social History at University of Portsmouth, and Ben Mayne, Director of LRE UK, University of Portsmouth students now can elect to work with the Foundation’s UK branch as part of their studies. This involves students researching and creating historical content to design new Themed Routes for the LRE network. Within this they can focus on their personal interests in the topic to develop routes on a variety of themes.
This cooperation provides students with valuable experience in the cultural heritage and remembrance tourism sector, offering them an opportunity to foster their research and writing skills whilst contributing to an international project. This knowledge and information offers valuable additions to the ever-expanding LRE hiking & cycling trails network. It simultaneously supports the Foundation’s mission of raising awareness about Second World War history and its varied perspectives and experiences, and engaging young people in this process.
“This is a great opportunity for young adults to gain many skills in different areas and contribute towards a European project that grows from strength to strength. […] it’s important that we give the future generations the opportunities to participate and work to continue the remembrance.” Says Ben Mayne, LRE UK Director.
In February 2024, the first students to choose to work with LRE UK as part of their studies began working on a Themed Route. Tailored to their own interests, students Sadie White and Francesa Raine explored the reality of the war in Portsmouth from a citizen’s perspective. They researched and presented stories of a war-scarred city, and the sense of community that arose between citizens and military troops. Working with Ben Mayne, the students selected, researched and created items of historical content to create the walking route ‘Community in War-scarred Portsmouth’. This will be available soon on the LRE website.
‘Formalising the University’s partnership with LRE Foundation is a really important development and cements the relationship we’ve had with the organisation over recent years. The partnership will provide students with the opportunity to work on a variety of important heritage projects, and these will not only help to build the students’ knowledge and skills but will also help to ensure that this important period in world history will continue to be remembered and commemorated.’ Says Dr Rob James, Senior lecturer in Cultural and Social History at University of Portsmouth.
After this positive start to the partnership, we are looking forward to future cooperation and projects with the University of Portsmouth!
This week, the LRE Foundation Brussels office hosted the launch of “Preserving the Past, Securing the Future: A Sustainable Approach to Cultural and Remembrance Heritage”, a new initiative funded by the Creative Europe Programme. The project aims to develop sustainable practices in the cultural heritage and remembrance sectors, focusing particularly on World War II remembrance tourism sites. The project addresses a significant challenge: ensuring that these places can adapt to the modern-day need for socio-cultural, economic and environmental sustainability so that they are able to continue educating and inspiring future generations.
The project goes beyond preserving history, making the important connection between remembrance of World War II and the need to combat todays’ urgent global issues, such as climate change and social inequality. By fostering sustainable development in the sector, the project and its partners seek to create a legacy not only of remembrance but also of responsibility.
Collaboration Across Borders
Central to the project’s vision is the collaboration with three key partners, each bringing unique expertise to the table. Mascontour, a German consultancyspecialising in the implementation of resilient and sustainable tourism, offers a strong foundation in training and capacity building for the tourism sector. From Italy, Fondazione Campus Studi del Mediterraneo contributes its academic knowledge in tourism and environmental studies, ensuring a robust research base for the project. Finally, theJuno Beach Centre in France, a centre of interpretation dedicated to the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the Second World War, exemplifies how sustainability can be effectively integrated into remembrance site management, providing a strong case study of experience and ongoing good practices.
This combination of academic, practical, and consultancy expertise underscores the project’s interdisciplinary nature.
Kick-Off Meeting and next steps
The two-day meeting in Brussels marked the project’s official start, bringing together the partner to align on objectives and establish a collaborative framework. Participants explored the project’s aims and objectives, discussed timelines and partner roles, and shared ideas on how to maximise stakeholder engagement and capacity building activities.
The meeting concluded with a clear set of next steps. Immediate priorities include finalising the structure of capacity-building activities, complemented by e-learning modules, mentoring and peer-learning, and study visits which will equip professionals in the remembrance sector with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement sustainable tourism practices. Stakeholder engagement initiatives will also begin: a research phase will investigate best practices and stakeholders’ needs in order to form a strong foundation for the subsequent project activities. This includes outreach efforts targeting organisations that can both contribute to and benefit from the project. Lastly, dissemination efforts will ensure widespread awareness of the project’s objectives and outcomes, targeting both industry professionals and the general public to foster a collective commitment to sustainability.
While the meeting laid a solid foundation, the real work lies ahead.
‘The project team is committed to this exciting cooperation and to ensuring that each stage of the project reflects the shared vision developed in Brussels. As this project begins, it has potential for an important and lasting impact, not just for stakeholders in the sector but for visitors and members of the public too. We are very happy to be working alongside such strong and passionate partners on this topic to make real change in the sector’ Emme Johnson, Project Officer at the LRE Foundation.
