The Liberation Route Europe Foundation (LREF) has recently received a grant from the German Federal Government, following a decision of the German Bundestag in November 2019. The signature took place on Friday 28 August at the German Embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands, at the presence of the Deputy Head of Mission, Ingrid Jung and LREF Deputy Director, Jurriaan de Mol.
The German Federal Government has granted its support to LREF for the creation of the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails. The allocated funds will be used for the development of the LRE’s hiking trails, a unique wasto experience remembrance sites and to learn about the local stories that promotes meaningful, sustainable tourism. For the new project, LREF is reimagining our digital environment,starting from a new website and web app; both will provide itinerary suggestions, trails and a route planner with hundreds of high-quality stories and historical content.
“We are very happy and proud of receiving substantial financial support from the German Federal Government,” LREF Managing Director Rémi Praud said, “Germany is taking the lead in the development of the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails with a very symbolic decision. We hope that more countries will follow the German example in the future”.
Liberation Route Europe’s annual event, the LRE Forum, was held in Brussels on February 4 and 5.
If you attended the LRE Forum, Conference and/or Gala, please give us your feedback and answer this short survey
If you attended the LREXPO specifically, please give us your feedback and answer this separate short survey
The LRE Forum opened its doors and welcomed visitors and guests on February 4th, 2020 in the Royal Army Museum (War Heritage Institute). This year’s LRE Conference entailed a motivating speech, Building Memory, by our keynote speaker Daniel Libeskind, world-famous architect and designer of the Vectors of Memory of the Liberation Route hiking trail. In his speech, he highlighted his personal commitment to evoke cultural memory in buildings. Moreover, his enlightening words about his own architecture creations, blending the historical past and his own values, gave the audience the opportunity to connect memory, history and culture.
Members and partners also joined two workshops on Europe Remembers and on the International Hiking Trail project. The Conference went on with a warm participation of the audience and the help of an interactive system that allowed the attendees to ask and answer questions, turning them into active participants. The LRE’s panel, composed of Prof. Frank van Vree, Prof. Rafal Wnuk and Prof. Mischa Gabowitsch, entailed a discussion about Remembering World War II across Europe: the narrative and cultural gaps. Later on, Prof. Oliver Wieviorka and MEP Andrius Kubilius were part of an interesting discussion entitled Can the EU shape memory?, which triggered a lively debate.
In the evening, guests and the LRE team had the pleasure to attend the LRE Gala in the Egmont Palace, where new LRE members were welcomed. The delicious food complemented inspiring speeches by Robert Croll (Chairman of vfonds), Lisette Mattaar (Director of the vfonds) and Ambassador Zoltan Taubner (Director of External Relations and Head of the Liaison Office with the EU in Brussels, Council of Europe), who awarded the certification of Cultural Route of the Council of Europe to Liberation Route Europe.
The LRE Forum, in partnership with History and Fletcher Hotels, continued on February 5th with the LREXPO; it offered WWII sites, museums and destinations representatives the opportunity to network with tourism stakeholders for an entire day with scheduled appointments. Visitors also joined two different workshops, one with Miguel Gallego about Tourism Passion Communities – Explorers of cultural identity and roots, and a panel discussion with Nathan Huegen, Ingrid Maan, Carla Sawyer and Martin Cugnon on How to create remembrance tourism products and offers.
During the LRE Forum, we had the pleasure to welcome the participants of a press trip following the route of liberation by train, and of two FAM trips, organized in partnership with ETC, which took North American tour operators either to Benelux or to Italy and the Czech Republic.
As a continuously growing, international remembrance trail Liberation Route Europe connects one-of-a-kind stories, places of remembrance, museums, regions, and people in nine countries. With the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of WWII in 2020, freedom and peace still should not be taken for granted. It is even more relevant to convey this message today, in light of the challenges our world is currently facing.
We’re happy that several new members wanted to join our unique network of experts and professionals from the WWII sector. We would like to welcome the following organisations:
Utrecht/Brussel, december 2019.De Liberation Route Europe is volop in ontwikkeling. Zo ook het management en bestuur van de organisatie. Volgend jaar gaat de LRE onder nieuwe leiding het bijzondere herdenkingsjaar 2020 in. Victoria van Krieken heeft besloten om na zeven jaar de Stichting Liberation Europe eind dit jaar als directeur-bestuurder te verlaten. Rémi Praud, al een aantal jaren adjunct-directeur, neemt vanaf 1 januari 2020 de leiding over als statutair directeur van de Stichting Liberation Route Europe (SLRE) met vestigingen in Utrecht en Brussel en leden in negen Europese landen. Jurriaan de Mol treedt, na twee volle termijnen af als voorzitter van de Raad van Toezicht en komt per 1 januari 2020 het team versterken als directeur LRE Nederland.
Victoria van Krieken heeft zich de afgelopen jaren ingespannen voor onder andere de (door)ontwikkeling van de Liberation Route Europe, het opbouwen van een sterk en divers internationaal netwerk en de inhoudelijke visie, verdieping en kwaliteit binnen SLRE. Victoria van Krieken over haar vertrek: ”Na zeven mooie en intensieve jaren bij SLRE is het tijd me te oriënteren op een nieuwe fase in mijn werkzame leven. Als ik terugkijk op de afgelopen periode bij SLRE en zie wat er is bereikt, kan ik alleen maar trots zijn. Ik heb veel vertrouwen in mijn opvolgers Rémi Praud, Jurriaan de Mol en de rest van het team. Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat Liberation Route Europe verder zal door ontwikkelen en samen met leden en partners een belangrijke rol zal blijven spelen in het levend houden van deze geschiedenis op een manier die aanspreekt bij jongere generaties ook na 75 jaar einde Tweede Wereldoorlog”.
Jurriaan de Mol was als oprichter en onbezoldigd voorzitter sinds 2011 voor SLRE-actief naast zijn functies in het management van o.a. ‘Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen’ en het Nederlands Bureau voor Toerisme & Congressen (NBTC). Rémi Praud over zijn komst: “We zijn heel blij met de expertise en het netwerk van Jurriaan en het feit dat hij direct inzetbaar is. Vanuit zijn passie voor de Liberation Route Europe en het WOII-erfgoed gaat hij samen met mij en het team invulling geven aan onze toekomstige ambities en opgaven zoals de realisatie van de internationale lange-afstands-wandelroute in het spoor van de geallieerden van Londen naar Berlijn”.
Behalve in de directie zijn er ook in de Raad van Toezicht van SLRE enkele wijzigingen te melden. Zo neemt Heleen Huisjes (directeur VisitBrabant) voorlopig het voorzitterschap over. Begin 2020 zal gezocht worden naar een nieuwe voorzitter van de Raad van Toezicht. Recent zijn Dieudonné Akkermans en Marc Kocken als leden toegetreden. De heer Akkermans is in het dagelijks leven burgemeester van Eijsden-Margraten. Door zijn persoonlijke interesse en door onder meer de aanwezigheid in zijn gemeente van de enige Amerikaanse oorlogsbegraafplaats in Nederland is hij nauw betrokken bij Liberation Route Europe en het levend houden van de herinnering aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Marc Kocken is sectorhoofd Erfgoed en Publiek bij Erfgoed Zeeland en vanuit die hoedanigheid onder meer actief deelnemer van de werkgroep Zeeland van Liberation Route Europe. Per 1 januari zal ook Herre Dijkema, directeur van ‘Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen’ toetreden tot de Raad van Toezicht.
The Liberation Route Europe is going through lots of new developments and changes, as is its management and administration. Next year, the LRE will enter the special commemoration year 2020 under new leadership as Victoria van Krieken has decided to leave the Liberation Europe Foundation at the end of this year, after seven years as statutory director. Rémi Praud, deputy director since 4 years, will take over from January 1, 2020 as statutory director of the Liberation Route Europe Foundation (LREF) with offices in Utrecht and Brussels and members in ten European countries. After two full terms, Jurriaan de Mol will also step down as chairman of the Supervisory Board and will join the team and its management on 1 January 2020.
In recent years, Victoria van Krieken has made efforts for, among others, the further development of the Liberation Route Europe, the building of a strong and diverse international network and the long-term vision and quality of historical content within LREF. About her departure, Victoria van Krieken said: “After seven fantastic and intensive years at LREF, it is time to orientate myself into a new phase in my working life. When I look back on the recent period at LREF and see what has been achieved, I can only be proud. I have great faith in my successors Rémi Praud, Jurriaan de Mol and the rest of the team. I am convinced that Liberation Route Europe will continue to develop and, together with members and partners, will continue to play an important role in keeping this history alive in a way that appeals to younger generations, even after 75 years of the end of the Second World War.”
Jurriaan de Mol has been active as founder and chair for LREF since 2011 in addition to his positions in management of, among others, ‘Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen’ and the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Congresses (NBTC). Rémi Praud about his arrival: “We are very happy with Jurriaan’s expertise and network and the fact that he can start immediately. Based on his passion for the Liberation Route Europe and WWII heritage, he, I and the team will fulfill our future ambitions and tasks such as the realization of the international long-distance hiking trail in the footsteps of the Allies from London to Berlin.”
In addition to the management, there are also a number of changes to be reported in the LREF Supervisory Board. Heleen Huisjes (director VisitBrabant) is taking over the interim chair position in the beginning 2020, the Foundation will look for a new chair. Dieudonné Akkermans and Marc Kocken recently joined as members. Mr. Akkermans is the mayor of the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten. Due to his personal interest and the presence in his municipality of the only American war cemetery in the Netherlands, he is closely involved with Liberation Route Europe. Marc Kocken is the sector head of Heritage and Public at ‘Erfgoed Zeeland’ and, from that capacity, is an active participant in the ‘Province of Zeeland’ working group of Liberation Route Europe. Herre Dijkema, director of ‘Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen’, will also join the Supervisory Board on 1 January 2020.
The Vectors of memory, designed by Daniel Libeskind, marking the Liberation Route Europe hiking trail have been presented in the Netherlands by US students (with National History Day) and the first ones installed along some Operation Market Garden sites.
Dear partners and members of the Liberation Route Europe Foundation,
I would like to inform you about upcoming changes within the management of the Liberation Route Europe organization. After seven years, Victoria van Krieken decided to leave the LRE foundation. As director of the foundation since January 2013, her work resulted in among others the development of the Liberation Route Europe from a national to an international organization. But also in the creation of a strong international network and high level historical content. Her efforts led to widespread acknowledgement of and recognition for the organization.
I am grateful to Victoria for bringing the LRE where it is today and I personally regret that she will leave the organization. At the same time I respect and understand her decision to enter a new phase after seven special but also intensive years. In the coming months, she will take the time to consider the next step in her career.
In December we will, in among others our online magazine LibRE reflect on Victoria’s seven years with the Liberation Route Europe.
Luckily, I have no concerns about her succession and the continuity of the LRE. Rémi Praud has been appointed statutory-director as per 1-1-2020 and we have full confidence in his ability to lead the foundation! We will inform you later this year about the management position of the LRE Netherlands.
The United States Ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, cycled along the Liberation Route Europe on August 29, along with fellow ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from Belgium, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Poland, Germany and Luxemburg. This event drew attention to the enduring freedom of the past 75 years, while also honoring the veterans who fought for that freedom. During the tour, the Ambassadors and other participants focussed on Operation Market Garden in the Dutch provinces North-Brabant and Gelderland.
For the Liberation Route Europe Foundation this bike tour has a strong symbolic significance. 75 Years of Freedom is an international shared history, with many stories perspectives. To have a group of international ambassadors follow a part of this remembrance trail, emphasizes the shared history and the importance to reflect and share stories together is a meaningful way to commemorate and raise awareness for this important part of history.
The United States Ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra, will be cycling along the Liberation Route Europe on August 29, along with fellow ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from Belgium, Luxemburg, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and Germany. This event will draw attention to the enduring freedom of the past 75 years, while also honoring the veterans who fought for that freedom.
By cycling a part of the Liberation Route together, the ambassadors show that freedom is not for granted and requires a joint and continuous effort from all of us. The Ambassadors Cycling Tour 2019 is a unique freedom ride at the start of a year full of commemorations. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra is looking forward to the bike ride. [quote] ……………………………………..
For the Liberation Route Europe Foundation this bike tour has a strong symbolic significance. This is an international shared history, with many stories perspectives. To have a group of international ambassadors follow a part of this remembrance trail, emphasizes the shared history and the importance to reflect and share stories together. It is a meaningful way to commemorate and raise awareness for this important part of history.
Route
During the tour, the Ambassadors and other participants will focus on Operation Market Garden and will get the chance to hear various personal war stories on location. The tour begins in the Province of North-Brabant, at the National Monument Kamp Vught, which is a memorial center and museum on the site of the former Herzogenbusch concentration camp. The group will then travel to the Wings of Liberation Museum in Best, which tells the compelling story of the liberation of the southern part of the Netherlands. The participants will also stop at the Paulushoef farm, whose large white letters served as a guidepost of Operation Market Garden paratroopers. The route then continues to Gelderland, where the route will include the new building of the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek, a village that was the scene of heavy fighting during Operation Market Garden and other operations; it is currently the site of one of Canada’s three War Cemeteries in the Netherlands. The tour will end in Nijmegen, where the cycling ambassadors will visit sites including the river Waal bridge ‘De Oversteek’ (which means ‘Waalcrossing’), where The Sunset March, a daily tribute to the Allied soldiers who fought for the liberation of The Netherlands, still takes place. The ambassadors will commemorate them in a short ceremony.
