Our
projects
The LRE Foundation engages in several projects and activities, with a focus on remembrance and the youth.
Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe that connects people, places, and events to mark Europe’s liberation from occupation during World War II and to reflect on the long-lasting consequences and history of the war through a multi-national, multi-perspective approach. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
In order to make the route a physical part of the European landscape, LREF is developing a network of Liberation Route Europe trails that allows new ways of experience the route by hiking, walking, and cycling. Developed in cooperation with hiking associations across Europe, the trails will form a traceable link between the main regions along the Allied Forces’ advance across Europe, stretching nearly 10.000km.
Renowned architect Daniel Libeskind has designed a symbolic family of trail markers called the ‘Vectors of Memory’ that will honour people, places, and stories found throughout the European landscape.
To complete the experience along the Liberation Route Europe, the LRE Foundation has been creating so-called ‘audio spots’ since 2008, and in 2023 a Podcast series called ‘In the Footsteps of History’ has been launched and is available on all major streaming platforms.
Learn more about the Hiking Trails and the Vectors of Memory
Highlighted project
To follow in the footsteps of history, visit:
Join us on a journey today to discover the history, personal stories, events, and sites across Europe by visiting:
Europe Remembers is an awareness and information platform that brings together commemorative sites and events in a collaborative, inspirational remembrance portal. Europe Remembers seeks to create a global commitment to preserve history and eyewitness memories for future generations, and call for an active participation.
It enables diverse communities to reflect on the complex heritage of World War II from multiple historical perspectives. The aim is to teach, to share experiences, and to encourage mutual understanding of our shared past. With fewer eyewitnesses each passing year, Europe Remembers seeks actively to promote new ways of commemorating and remembering World War II for the future.
Since May 2019, the Europe Remembers team has gone “On Tour” to visit and to present the most important sites and regions marked by World War II across Europe. At each location, interviews with eyewitnesses, historians, and other individuals bring us closer to the personal stories and histories that link the continent.
The LRE Foundation is committed to promoting innovative active remembrance and memory transmission projects targeting the younger generations through the LRE Youth Programme. An essential feature of these initiatives is the inclusion and sharing of diverse experiences, applying a multi-perspective approach to WWII history and remembrance.
With HistoryTreks, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, students of different countries get together to reflect on the history and impact of WWII on their regions with formal and non-formal learning methods, including hiking the Liberation Route Europe and visiting remembrance sites along the way.
In turn, with EASTory through their Eyes and Persecution through their Eyes, young Europeans are invited to learn about personal stories of people who experienced WWII and its consequences across Europe, reflecting on the complexity of such shared history. The ‘through their Eyes’ series combines an online and travelling exhibition with youth events in partner locations and is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the EU.
The Active Remembrance Youth Programme (ARYP) is funded by the European Commission and contains nine different youth exchange events across Europe. The project runs from 2024 till 2026 and involves partners from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, France, Italy and Czechia.
Discover the "Through their Eyes" projects:
Discover the History Treks project:
Discover the Active Remembrance Youth Program (ARYP):
Since 2017, the LRE Forum is an annual three-part event organised by the LRE Foundation comprising of the LRE Conference, the LRE Gala, and the LREXPO.
The LRE Conference serves to inform, to inspire, and to connect all the LRE Foundation’s members, network, stakeholders, and the general public. Included is an update on the LRE Foundation’s activities, upcoming projects, and interesting in-depth keynotes or panel discussions.
The LREXPO is thematic trade show that showcases the many European destinations sharing the heritage and experiences of World War II. Each year representatives from remembrance sites, museums, and tourism destinations network with the travel trade stakeholders to offer unique tourism products and to form partnerships to reach a broader international audience.
The LRE Gala is a special event for the members of the LRE
Foundation, its key partners and sponsors. The evening’s activities include networking opportunities, inspiring guest speakers as well a new members’ ceremony.
