Loïc François

– Prominent role for WWII remembrance trail documenting 75 years of liberation –

“There is no single truth when it comes to history. It’s therefore very important to try to bring together different perspectives. That’s what Liberation Route Europe does concerning World War II. It creates an overlap of all the stories. That in itself merits a huge compliment.”

These are the words of Sönke Neitzel, German Professor of War Studies at the University of Potsdam, who was speaking at the first international partner conference of the Liberation Route Europe Foundation in Brussels late last week. Around 150 people from the WWII sector gathered for the conference to listen to several speeches and receive an overview of the various developments within Liberation Route Europe.

Silvia Draghi, who was present on behalf of the European Commission, also praised the work of the organisation behind the remembrance trail which traverses eight countries. “Many tourists from overseas visit several countries when they come to Europe. The history of the Second World War plays a special part in their endeavour, and you have made it attractive to tourists in a very unique way.”

Liberation Route Europe will play a prominent role in the run-up to 75 years of liberation and the end of World War II (2019 and 2020). The organisation will be involved with various activities, including setting up an international public campaign and launching an international long-distance walking route from London to Berlin. The trail should be ready in 2019.

Warning
A day prior to the event in Brussels, Liberation Route Europe members came together at the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium, where they took a tour and then had dinner at the museum. During the gathering, Israeli historian and diplomat Professor Élie Barnavi warned about a changing global political landscape. He especially mentioned the current government in Poland, which, in his opinion, is waging “a cultural war directed against all of us and democracy.” He was referring to that government’s decision not to open the new Museum of the Second World War in Poland. The museum aims to present Poland’s role during the war within an international context, but the government has a more nationalistic perspective in mind.

Collaboration
Board member Ton Heerts of vfonds – the Dutch National Foundation of Peace, Freedom and Veteran Support – also spoke during the dinner. The foundation has been supporting Liberation Route Europe financially since 2013 and will continue to do so up to and including next year. Heerts called on everyone present to help further develop the trail: “We all believe in the mission of Liberation Route Europe. Only by working together can we continue to keep the very important memory of World War II alive.”

Victoria van Krieken, Director of the Liberation Route Europe Foundation, looks back on the two-day event in Belgium with satisfaction: “It has been beautiful and great to see our route helping to unite such a multi-disciplinary group of people. Historians, politicians, guides, tour operators and many others are working together to convey this important message to the widest audience possible: even today, freedom cannot be taken for granted.”

Liberation Route Europe (LRE) has signed a destination contract together with the public and private partners of the remembrance tourism sector in Normandy. By signing this agreement, LRE officially joins this regional network of destination partners and in this capacity it will serve as their European extension.

The signatory parties, that consists of national and regional authorities, tourism boards and museums, will strengthen their ties in developing the Normandy region as one of the leading remembrance tourism destinations in Europe. Together they bring to mind the important role Normandy has played in the construction of modern Europe and lasting peace. Today the museums and sites representing the historical Battle of Normandy generate already more than 5 million visitors a year.

The director of the Liberation Route Europe Foundation, Victoria van Krieken, is very delighted with signing this document. “Since four years Normandy is one of our key partners throughout Europe that combines World War II remembrance with international tourism in a unique way”, she tells. “It is important for us to commit to this high level initiative and to jointly develop this unique way of bringing the many stories of war and liberation to a wide audience across the world”.

Next to the economical development of the Normandy region the partners also commit themselves to putting forward the universal and eternal values of peace, democracy and reconciliation. According to Victoria Van Krieken, “the LRE aligns itself to these values and is therefore an ideal partner for the region in passing on the memory of World War II to the public at a larger international scale.”

Liberation Route Europe
The Liberation Route Europe follows in the footsteps of the Western Allies in 1944 and 1945. The remembrance trail runs through Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Poland. Experience the personal stories of the time and reflect on the price that was paid for a free Europe. The Liberation Route Europe consists of a multidisciplinary network including relevant museums, tourism organisations, governments and historians. Together, they want to keep the memory of World War II alive. You can find out more about the struggle for freedom on the website and app, available in five languages. For more information, see www.liberationroute.com. Thanks to the support of the Dutch vfonds (National Foundation for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Support), the Liberation Route Europe Foundation can work continuously on the expansion of its route and products.

The Liberation Route Europe, an international remembrance trail that connects important milestones of the Second World War, has launched the American Friends of the Liberation Route Europe. This fund will create awareness about the American experience in Europe, honoring the brave men who went to Europe to liberate occupied countries from the Nazis. Over 400,000 didn’t survive. We need to tell their stories, and share a message of peace and freedom that were hard won and must be protected.

Executive Director of Liberation Route Europe Foundation Victoria van Krieken, said: “War is not only ‘black and white’, not only about victory and loss. We want to show the world that every country that was involved in the Second World War had, and has, its own stories to tell. We also want to show the people of the United States how grateful we still are because of what those brave soldiers did over seventy years ago.” Along the Liberation Route Europe, you will find lots of stories about American soldiers, and is a great opportunity for all Americans to experience the personal stories of their fellow countrymen when visiting Europe.

‘We must honor, we must remember and we must bear witness, together’

As a non-profit organization, the Liberation Route Europe Foundation works continuously on the expansion of its route. Liberation Route Europe is dedicated to preserve the memory of those who gave their lives in order to end the Second World War and bring Europe peace, freedom, democracy and reconciliation. It connects this history with life in modern-day Europe. Multi-perspective narratives are vital in order to fully examine the complexity of World War II’s heritage.

Including the American perspective with the opening of the American Friends Fund is very important to Liberation Route Europe. As part of this mandate it is imperative to tell the stories of Americans who sacrificed their lives to help liberate Europe, particularly as they died so far from home. First steps have already been taken, including partnerships with the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and contacts with the American Battle Monuments Commission.

About Liberation Route Europe: Founded in 2008, Liberation Route Europe reaches across national borders across Europe to examine the complex heritage of World War II from multiple historical perspectives and promote peace and reconciliation. The Dutch vfonds (National Fund for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Care) is supporting the Liberation Route Europe.

For more information, visit www.liberationroute.com, or find us on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) at ‘@liberationroute’. For more information about the American Friends Fund, visit www.liberationroute.com/donate-usa.