BIDBOOK Visitors centre War Cemeteries Bergen op Zoom B Visitors centreWarCemeteriesBergenopZoom I D B S T I C H T I N G O O K PREFACE Attached, you will nd the bid book of the Brabant Wal Such a visitors' centre will bring the goals set by the SBBW in Liberation Foundation (SBBW in Dutch) for an information 2014 closer. centre at the two war cemeteries on the Ruytershove Road in Bergen op Zoom. Purpose « Remembrance of all war victims - civilians and military Nearly 2,500 allied soldiers, mainly Canadian and English, who personnel - who have died or been killed throughout the died during World War II, are buried here. The vast majority of world since the outbreak of WW2, in any war or during any them died during the Battle of the Scheldt (September- subsequent peace missions on behalf of our government. November 1944). « Creating interest in the Battle of the Scheldt. « Underlining the value and importance of living in peace and This battle was the longest and most violent battle fought on freedom. Dutch soil in the Second World War. Its outcome was crucial for « Contributing to the transfer of knowledge and learning in the advance of Allied troops in Western Europe and for the primary and secondary education. liberation of West Brabant and Zeeland. (see Attachment 1) « Developing and expanding international contacts whose origins lie in WO2. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the libera- tion of Western Europe in 1944 and 1945, both at home and Everyone living in the Netherlands should be aware that in abroad. In addition, these special cemeteries for allied soldiers order to achieve our current state of freedom, great sacrices form the basis of new initiatives to put the themes of peace, were necessary. Personal stories about allied casualties, security, freedom and democracy in a contemporary context. recounted by family, colleagues or eyewitnesses at the time, all contribute to a broader and deeper awareness of these sacrices. Efforts are being made via educational programmes and economic exchanges to actively involve younger generations. With a combination of images, pictures and sound, the audience This is to make a wider public aware that the above-mentioned in the visitors' centre can learn directly about the liberation of themes should not be taken for granted, in whatever commu- Southwest Netherlands through a form of multimedia story- nity; a form of cultural transfer that makes the connection telling. between then and now, old and young, oppression and free- dom. This all stems from an intimate wish, which is so poignantly displayed on the wall in the information centre at the Canadian In line with this, the Brabant Wal Liberation Foundation is Cemetery in Holten, Overijssel. This wish is that younger advocating the creation of a visitors' centre at both locations on generations will evermore be able to say: "We live in post-war the Ruytershoveweg in Bergen op Zoom. Such a facility will times. Let it remain that way." offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the backgrounds of the fallen soldiers on-site; about how their ultimate sacrice led On behalf of the the Brabant Wal Liberation Foundation, to the liberation of the region in 1944/45. And about what their commitment means to our present freedom and peace in Frans de Vos, Chairman; Western Europe. [email protected] 1 2 THE WAR CEMETERIES IN BERGEN OP ZOOM Bergen op Zoom enjoys a situation which is unique in our There has also been a new development: groups of students, country. On the Ruytershove Road, barely 50 metres apart, there both from their own country and from Canada, have also started are two great war cemeteries: the Canadian War Cemetery, with to visit the war cemeteries. Although exact numbers have not 1,119 graves and the adjacent War Cemetery, where 1,296 fallen been registered, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission soldiers are buried. (CWGC), the management foundation of these cemeteries, reports that the number of visitors has increased signicantly. Over the past decades, the cemeteries have been visited regu- larly by veterans, relatives of the soldiers, friends and acquain- tances. Prof. Wim van den Donk, the King's Commissioner in North Brabant At ofcial commemorations of the liberation of the Brabant Wal, 'We must learn to be free, to practice it, defend it, develop and share wreaths are placed at the war cemeteries. At the 5-yearly it. Time and time again. Freedom does not grow nor thrive in an commemorations, this happens in the presence of high-level obligation-free context. Freedom obligates; how contradictory that administrators from Canada and representatives of the Dutch sounds at rst hearing. The freedom of expression, for example, pre- Royal Family. supposes that we have learned an opinion, and also that we realise that it is dependent on dialogue, debate and democracy. Liberate; that's a verb." MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING The 2014 commemoration of 70 years' liberation in West Brabant living memory. The mutual social, cultural, educational and and Zeeland extensively illustrated the Battle of the Scheldt, economic ties are also strengthened, to enable work to continue which took place in 1944. There was, for example, an impressive on peace and security, wherever possible. procession by old army vehicles to Bergen op Zoom, culminat- ing in a military parade in the city and an international com- The origin of the connection is, and remains, the commitment of memoration at the Canadian cemetery, in the presence of Canada during WW2. The bond becomes more substantial with Canada's Governor-General and Prince Maurits, the Dutch every exchange that takes place at commemorations and King's Adjutant. through keeping alive the memory of the Battle of the Scheldt. On October 27, 2014, Mayor Frank Petter from Bergen op Zoom, the then Canadian Ambassador, Mr. James Lambert, and the King's Commissioners for Brabant and Zeeland Prof. Dr. Wim Dr. Frank Petter, van de Donk and Drs. Han Polman, signed a 'Memorandum of Mayor of Bergen op Zoom Understanding'. The Mayor of Bergen op Zoom did this on “Together with our Municipal Council, I see the importance of behalf of the two other Brabant Wal municipalities: keeping the focus on our achievement of freedom. Especially during Woensdrecht and Steenbergen. the annual commemorations, it becomes clear that a high price has been paid for that freedom. We are duty-bound, both to ourselves In this document, the intention is declared to better highlight the and to the ones who perished for our freedom, to handle that freedom Canadian war effort in Southwest Netherlands and to keep it in in a responsible manner." 3 4 BRABANT WAL LIBERATION FOUNDATION Within that framework, the Municipality of Bergen op Zoom tion and economy, with the eventual aim of a Canada-wide took the initiative to establish the Brabant Wal Liberation exchange. For educational and economic exchanges, an amount Foundation. One of the purposes of this Foundation is to of € 35,000 is reserved annually. organise the celebration of 75 years of Liberation in 2019-2020. The Foundation maintains close contact with the provinces of In concrete terms, the Mayor and Aldermen of Bergen op Zoom North Brabant and Zeeland and works with associations and also want to investigate whether the Council museum, Het organisations in its eld: the Municipalities of Woensdrecht, Markiezenhof, can become the main starting point of routes Bergen op Zoom and Steenbergen. associated with the Battle of the Scheldt. These will include museums and war-artefact collections in West Brabant and Under the auspices of the Brabant Wal Liberation Foundation, Zeeland and also relics in the area, which are linked to the Battle every year this same Municipal Council earmarks €25,000 for of the Scheldt. the annual memorial programme. Supplementary to the existing exhibition on "The Battle of the Scheldt" in the Museum of the Liberation of Zeeland In the spring of this year and in line with of the Memorandum of (Bevrijdingsmuseum Zeeland) in Nieuwdorp, the construction Understanding, the Municipal Council of Bergen op Zoom of an information centre at the war cemeteries on the declared the intention of further expanding the existing friend- Ruytershove Road is being investigated in consultation with the ship with the Canadian city of Edmonton in the areas of educa- Brabant Wal Liberation Foundation. WHY HAVE A VISITORS' CENTRE? At the war cemeteries in Bergen op Zoom, there is scant refer- Route Europe (see Appendix 2). ence to their origin, their location and the ranks and army units This can be achieved by creating an information centre in the of those buried there. At both locations, there are plaques form of a visitors' centre, such as at the one at the Canadian showing the invasion routes from the beaches in Normandy. cemetery in Holten and the American graveyard in Margraten. But these references, especially those at the War Cemetery, don't stand out sufciently. The centres there provide visitors with space for reection and give the cemeteries informative and educational added value. Furthermore, visitors to the site are left without sufcient The memories of WWII are kept alive with personal stories, information about the advance of the Allies towards West from generation to generation. Brabant after the invasion (D-Day). It is clear that such a centre is an enormous pull for visitors to the For a wide public, there is also insufcient well-documented cemeteries. A free, accessible and welcoming all-weather locale and well-ordered background information in the region around clearly offers added value. Visitors to the cemeteries can, Bergen op Zoom about the Battle of the Scheldt and the subse- through on-site multimedia presentations, acquire a deeper quent liberation of West Brabant.