The LRE Foundation kicks off its new project funded by the European Union: “Persecution through their EYES”

Posted on July 6, 2022April 24, 2023 by Cecilia Badano

On 28-29 June, the LRE Foundation welcomed in Brussels its project partners to officially kick off the brand-new project “Persecution through their EYES”. After two successful editions of “History Through their Eyes” (in 2017-2019 and 2020-2022), the LRE Foundation is partnering up with the Camp Vught National Memorial (Netherlands), Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora (Germany), LRE Italy, the National Peace Park and Historical Museum of the Resistance in Sant’Anna di Stazzema (Italy), and Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN Lublin (Poland) to organise a remembrance initiative highlighting the stories of those persecuted by the Nazi totalitarian dictatorship.

Realised nearly 80 years following the end of the Second World War, this project aims to deepen a multi-perspective, transnational understanding of the Nazi persecution history by spotlighting the vast array of experiences of the victims of this regime, including, among others, Jews, Roma/Sinti, political prisoners, homosexuals, prisoners of war, civilians, and resistance fighters. The project, funded by the European Union as part of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, will also reflect on the importance of human rights and promote youth education through first-hand visits to historical places of remembrance and international dialogue.

To fully realise this aim, the project partners will organise a series of events addressed to students, teachers, WWII educators and stakeholders, including international workshops and four youth events (one per project partner) around a travelling exhibition that features stories from those persecuted individuals. The exhibition will also be made accessible online for a wider audience.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation: “We are proud to be collaborating with such leading cultural institutions, and it was an absolute pleasure to welcome some of their representatives to our office in Brussels for what turned out to be a very insightful kick-off meeting. I am confident that their vast knowledge and the previous editions of ‚History Through their EYES‘ will serve as a solid base to build a relevant and engaging initiative for the younger generations to visit the places where the Nazi regime committed these crimes, learn about the victim‘s personal stories and reflect on the importance of human rights in our nowadays society”.

The Home Army Museum in Krakow joins the LRE Foundation Network

Posted on June 27, 2022June 28, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

The LRE Foundation is delighted to announce that the Home Army Museum in Krakow (Muzeum Armii Krajowej) has joined its network. With the signature of the membership agreement, the Home Army Museum becomes the second Polish member, following the Museum of Gdańsk which joined in February 2022.

The Museum of the Home Army, located in Krakow, is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Polish Underground State and the Home Army established in Poland, as the largest resistance group in occupied Europe during the Second World War. The museum is a cultural institution with a large collection of historical artefacts and is operated by the City of Krakow and the Lesser Poland Province.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation: “We are happy that the Home Army Museum decided to join the Foundation as a member. This new partnership offers us the possibility to further explore the heritage of the Polish Underground State and Home Army and to include the related remembrance sites and stories in our initiatives. Their participation will enrich our network, bringing to the table a new valuable Polish perspective on the Second World War, and we hope that their example will inspire other parties in Poland to join our mission.”

“As the Home Army Museum, we are honored to be a new member of the LRE Foundation and have the opportunity to expand our educational activities to the European level. We see great potential in this cooperation, for dialogue with other countries and exchange experiences, especially at a time when there is war going on beyond our eastern border. In this way, we hope to constantly keep history in mind and commemorate the past events, including the fate of the Home Army soldiers – the largest resistance movement during World War II.” tells Dr. Marek Lasota – Director of the Home Army Museum.

New Liberation Route Europe theme routes in Limburg explore the liberation of the province

Posted on June 24, 2022June 24, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

The Dutch province of Limburg becomes part of the international Liberation Route Europe hiking trails system with unique themed routes dedicated to its liberation. The itinerary runs for more than 300 kilometers from Mesch to Mook, through the whole region, and includes over 100 sites and stories linked to the final phases of the Second World War.

In September 2022, the trails will be presented in Mesch, where American troops crossed the Belgian-Dutch border for the first time in 1944. Meanwhile, the routes through Limburg and more than 100 stories can be explored on the Liberation Route Europe website. Besides two main itineraries connecting sites in Limburg, Liberation Route Europe also introduced four shorter hikes to explore the history in the region of South-Limburg and the towns of Gennep, Venlo and Nederweert. The website and newly launched Liberation Route mobile app allow visitors to easily plan their walks along the new theme routes and discover the rich WWII history of the province of Limburg.

The LRE Foundation, initiator of the Liberation Route Europe, has been working closely with Limburg Marketing, Routebureau Noord- en Midden-Limburg, Routepunt Visit Zuid-Limburg and historian Fred Cammaert on these walking routes about the Liberation of Limburg. This innovative sustainable project has been funded by the Province of Limburg, all municipalities in Limburg, Ons WCL Midden-Limburg and the vfonds (National Fund for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Care).

The Liberation of Limburg
As early as 12 September 1944, the villages of Mesch, Mheer and Noorbeek in the south of Limburg were liberated. At that time, nobody thought that the liberation of the rest of the province would take another six months and would entail brutal fights. Whereas the largest part of southern Limburg did not suffer significant damage due to the lack of Nazi resistance, a fierce battle soon broke out in the central and northern parts of the province. Thousands of soldiers and civilians lost their lives. Artillery shelling, bombardments, looting, raids, deportations and forced evacuations determined everyday life for months. Places like Venlo, Venray and Gennep changed into a wasteland of rubble.

Only on 3 March 1945 did the Allied troops arrive in the villages of Arcen, Velden and Bergen, and Well in North Limburg. Their arrival marked the end of the Nazi occupation in the entire province. The price of freedom had been immense and had left an indelible sign. Today, hundreds of monuments, museums and memorials keep this painful yet crucial memory alive.

To follow in the footsteps of history in Limburg and discover more locations along the Liberation Route Europe, visit the website or download the new Liberation Route Europe mobile app here.

The LRE Foundation’s Historical Advisory Board welcomes three new members

Posted on June 16, 2022June 17, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

The LRE Foundation is delighted to introduce three new members to its Historical Advisory Board: Prof. Katja Makhotina, Prof. Kees Ribbens, and Dr. Benoît Niederkorn. The three new historians from different countries and backgrounds, share distinguished careers in WWII memory transmission and remembrance.

The Historical Advisory Board, comprised of leading historians, works to define the Foundation’s historical scope and supervises the content and research development. Together with the International Supervisory Board, which oversees the organisation’s administration, this body holds a crucial role in the LRE Foundation and its doing.

Prof. Katja Makhotina is a Professor of History at the Department of Eastern European History at the University of Bonn (Germany). Her main research areas are remembrance culture of WWII and Stalinism in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and Lithuania. Prof. Makhotina is a member of several advisory boards of memorials in Germany and a founding member of a working group to establish a new Documentation Centre about the German occupation in Europe (to be located in Berlin by the German Historical Museum). About her new role as part of the Historical Advisory Board, Prof. Makhotina said: “The LRE Foundation keeps the civic spark of memory alive – an important prerequisite for a critical view of the past and the present. I am pleased to be able to accompany this concern as part of the advisory board.”

Prof. Kees Ribbens is a Senior Researcher at NIOD (Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies) and Professor of ‘Popular historical culture of Global Conflicts and Mass Violence’ at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Ribbens joins the LREF Historical Advisory Board and enriches it with his knowledge and interest in public history, commemorations, museums, history education and social imagery linked to war experience. “Contemporary encounters with World War II can occur in various forms. Tourism too plays a role in this, in which curiosity can lead to greater knowledge and a better understanding of this dramatic twentieth-century past. In my research on the culture of remembrance of the war and the Holocaust, I have noticed the opportunities tourism offers for keeping this history alive, particularly in an international context. That makes it valuable to be involved in the ongoing work of Liberation Route Europe.” Prof. Ribbens stated, “The NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies has played a role in documenting and analysing the history of the Second World War ever since the Liberation of the Netherlands. Drawing on the knowledge acquired here about what happened then and the post-war impact and significance it has, I look forward to contributing to the Historical Advisory Board.”, he concluded.

The last addition, Dr. Benoît Niederkorn, is the curator and director of the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch (Luxembourg) since 2017. Niderkorn’s main research interests are the history of war and society and the history of the Luxembourgish Armed Forces in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. “Luxembourg is rich in WWII history and cultural heritage. Many monuments and stories linked to the Battle of the Bulge and more are worth being researched and conveyed. I am glad to be joining the LREF Historical Board. LRE Foundation’s experience, combined with the archives of the National Military Museum, can help the Luxembourgish Ministry of Culture in its mission to improve the country’s hiking trails and provide valuable stories for those hiking along the Liberation Route Europe theme routes.”, Dr. Benoît Niederkorn said regarding his entrance in the LREF Historical Advisory Board.

LRE Foundation signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Maison de la Randonnée – GTA Belgique

Posted on June 8, 2022July 21, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

We are delighted to announce that the LRE Foundation (LREF) and the Maison de la Randonnée – GTA Belgique have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and partnership to promote the Freedom Trail (Chemins de la Liberté ®) in the Belgian Ardennes.

GTA Belgium has been active in the Ardennes since the 1980s and has developed many famous touristic trails, such as the Transardennaise. The organisation’s expertise in outdoor recreation represents an excellent asset for developing the LRE Foundation’s European trail system – the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails – which follow in the footsteps of the Allies during the latter phase of the Second World War (1943-45).

The LRE Foundation and GTA Belgium will work together to promote the Freedom Trail, a 68 km signposted loop trail starting in Bastogne that will lead hikers to discover various remembrance sites in the Bastogne region and part of the history of the famous Battle of the Bulge. This route crosses the municipalities of Vaux-sur-Sûre, Sainte-Ode, Bertogne and Bastogne. The Freedom Trail is identified by a 1:25,000 IGN map and Road Books translated into three languages (FR – NL – GB). The Freedom Trail becomes a core part of the Liberation Route Europe, together with the recently launched themed route in the Ardennes. Together, LREF and GTA Belgium will also work on the touristic promotion of the many historical sites present in the area and a unique visitor experience.

“The Freedom Trail is a mythical route that leads us to the events of the Second World War,” explains Denis Jusseret, president of the Maison de la Randonnée – GTA – Belgium. “A route that expresses the deep meaning of this history. It connects the main sites of the Memory of the Second World War located among others on the perimeter of the Battle of Bastogne. Its path between forest and countryside, over hills and valleys, can only fill us with wonder in the middle of nature.”

“The signing of this partnership will allow us to further extend the Liberation Route in the Belgian Ardennes, and the major GTA hiking trails we developed at length to commemorate the Battle of the Bulge will also gain more visibility”, stated Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation. “In that respect, working with GTA – Belgium is a valuable asset, and I am very much looking forward to this important collaboration”, he added.

LRE Foundation receives Belgian National Lottery grant for the development of the Liberation Route Europe

Posted on June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

At the beginning of 2022, the Belgian National Lottery decided to support the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails by granting part of its yearly subsidies to the LRE Foundation. The significant amount allocated to the project helps the foundation move forward in the route expansion and historical research in Belgium. Furthermore, the grant will help develop the Liberation Route digital platforms, including the website (and online travel planner) and the recently launched mobile app (now available for Android and iOS!).

Every year, the Belgian National Lottery devotes a significant portion of its game revenue to financing numerous social projects on the Belgian territory in various fields such as culture, sport, research, development, solidarity and more.

Sammy Mahdi, Secretary of State Asylum & Migration, in charge of the National Lottery of Belgium: “Thanks to our players, every year we are able to support significant causes all around Belgium. The National Lottery, its players and I are pleased to support such an important project as the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails. We wish you every success.”

Liberation Route Europe is the transnational itinerary that links the central regions that marked the end of the Second World War. Since 2021, people can experience the route in a new way, by walking or hiking, thanks to an extended network of trails connecting WWII remembrance sites and stories across Europe. Thanks to the new digital offer consisting of a renewed website and mobile app, people can easily plan their trips along the Liberation Route by exploring the trails and reading many stories about the end of WWII in Europe.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation: “We would like to deeply thank the Belgian National Lottery for the support and trust. Thanks to the grant received, we will be able to expand and promote the hiking trails system in Belgium and add new stories and sites to the Liberation Route Europe website and mobile app.”

More ‘Vectors of Memory’ unveiled across Europe

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

Throughout the first half of 2022, many new ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been installed across Europe with many more to be unveiled later this year. These important way markings along the Liberation Route Europe have been erected thanks to the hard work of the members of the LRE Foundation and the financial support of our key partners.

The ‘Vectors of Memory’ were designed by Daniel Libeskind as a family of monuments that serve both as physical embodiment of the Liberation Route Europe and to provide wayfinding along the new hiking trails. In total, Daniel Libeskind designed four types of ‘Vectors’ that would be recognisable across Europe (from largest to smallest): Remembrance Site Vector, Crossroads Vector, Wall Vector, and Floor Vector. More information on Daniel Libeskind’s concept can be found here.

In the Netherlands, this year new Crossroads Vectors were unveiled in the village of Vught, the Commonwealth War Cemetery Uden, Freedom Museum Groesbeek, city of Wageningen, Airborne Museum Villa Hartenstein, German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn, and city of Apeldoorn. Later this year Crossroads Vectors will also be installed in Arnhem, Nijmegen, and the villages of Mesch and Wilp. In addition to the aforementioned Crossroads Vectors, over 15 Wall Vectors and 40 Floor Vectors have been installed this year at various locations in the Dutch provinces of Limburg, Gelderland, and North Brabant thanks to the financial support of various partners including the vfonds, Mondriaan Funds, Province of Limburg, Province of Noord-Brabant, Province of Gelderland, Province of Zeeland, Airborne Region, and Airborne Beer.

The first ‘Vector of Memory’ in France was presented to the Region of Normandy during the LRE Forum in April 2022. In Belgium, a Wall Vector was presented to the Bastogne War Museum during the ‘EASTory Through Their Eyes’ Youth Conference.

In 2021, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany sponsored the production of 130 Floor Vectors as part of larger financial support for the development of the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails and new website / mobile applications. The Floor Vectors are in the process of installation at various locations throughout Europe. This included the first German ‘Vector of Memory’ unveiled in May at the Peace Museum – Bridge at Remagen.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation, expressed, “We are very grateful for the enthusiasm our partners across Europe have shown to further develop the Liberation Route Europe by adopting and installing a ‘Vector of Memory’. I am sure that in the upcoming years, many more Vectors will unveiled across Europe.”

To stay up to date with the latest locations where a ‘Vector of Memory” has been installed, visit: Vectors of Memory – LRE Foundation.

If you would like to install a ‘Vector of Memory’ or make a donation, please get in touch with us.

EASTory through their Eyes at the Bastogne War Museum

Posted on May 25, 2022May 30, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

After Krakow (Poland) and Pilsen (Czechia), EASTory through their Eyes continued with a youth event at the Bastogne War Museum (Belgium) on 17 May. The event was composed of four workshops on the topic of WWII history and its consequences in Eastern and Western Europe, and was funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union.

The Bastogne War Museum welcomed more than 60 students of the Henallux College of Bastogne – future primary school teachers –, the EASTory through their Eyes project partners from the Home Army Museum in Krakow and the City of Pilsen, artists and Battle of the Bulge eyewitness Marcel Thelen for a lively morning of discussions and debates.

Four rotating workshops were organised on the Museum premises. In the newly-opened Mustang Flight Zone room, students listened to the story of Marcel Thelen, who was ten years old during the Battle of the Bulge. Mr Thelen – a German native speaker from a village close to Saint-Vith, Belgium – recounted his memories of life during the war, including the arrest and deportation of his father and his brother to Dachau. In the outdoor exhibition ‘Art Liberty: from the Berlin Wall to Street Art’, students could discuss the role of art in remembering iconic events in Europe, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, with two street artists performing. A third workshop led by a historian served to learn more about the Second World War and its consequences in Europe – from the Cold War to the European unification process.

In the museum cafeteria, close to the EASTory through their Eyes travelling exhibition, students had an insightful debate with project partners from the Home Army Museum in Krakow and the City of Pilsen. Using the examples of the faces of the EASTory through their Eyes exhibition, they discussed the differences in the consequences of WWII for Poland and Czechia – the swift communist takeover at the end of the war did not entail freedom and democracy but rather a renovated, albeit different, occupation and oppression that only came to an end in 1989-1990.

To conclude the morning, a Wall Vector of Memory, a marker of the Liberation Route Europe – another of the initiatives of the LRE Foundation – was handed out to the Bastogne War Museum’s Director Mathieu Billa before the classic group photo.

Relive the day and listen to the impressions of the participants in a short recap video on the LRE Foundation’s YouTube channel.

New Liberation Route Europe trail in Jersey highlights historic forced labour on the island

Posted on May 23, 2022May 24, 2022 by Cecilia Badano

The LRE Foundation, Visit Jersey and Jersey Heritage are excited to announce a new addition to the Liberation Route Europe, the Forced Workers Trail, located on the Island of Jersey. The trail introduces visitors to 20 locations linked to the experiences of forced foreign labourers to the island during the Second World War.

The Channel Islands (that include Guernsey and Jersey) were the only region of the British Isles to be occupied by German Forces during the Second World War. The Island’s occupation lasted for two years, from 1 July 1940 until its Liberation on 9 May 1945. Starting in the autumn of 1941, German occupational forces brought 6000 foreign workers, both men and women, to the Island to work as forced labour on the construction of concrete German fortifications, part of the larger Atlantic Wall. These actions took place under the Organisation Todt (OT), the civil and military engineering organisation responsible for engineering projects in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War Two.

Whilst these workers originated from many different countries, their treatment varied. Labourers from Western Europe and North Africa were conscripted as paid labourers. While Eastern Europeans, such as Vasily Marempolsky, were used as slave labour and were often treated with brutality. In some cases, the Islanders, such as Lucy Schwob and Suzanne Malherbe, put their lives and livelihoods in great peril to shelter escaped labourers.

Together, Jersey Heritage, Visit Jersey, and the LRE Foundation have worked to create a new thematic route, the ‘Forced Workers Trail in Jersey’, as part of the Liberation Route Europe to connect the historic locations across the Island and tell these moving personal stories. This project will promote the preservation and appreciation of Jersey’s historical heritage, making it accessible to visitors to the area and ensuring that the Island’s story is passed on for many generations to come.

To follow in the footsteps of history in Jersey and discover more locations along the Liberation Route Europe, visit the website or download the new Liberation Route Europe mobile app here.