November 25, 2024
5 Must-Visit WWII Heritage Sites in North Brabant
North Brabant, a province in the southern Netherlands, was a crucial theater during World War II. Its towns and countryside witnessed intense battles as Allied forces advanced to liberate the region in late 1944. This effort was part of the wider Operation Market Garden, which, while unsuccessful, represented a turning point in the war. Today, visitors to the region can explore sites that commemorate those who fought and suffered during that period of time. We spotlight five exceptional locations that preserve and share the heritage of North Brabant during World War II.
Camp Vught National Memorial
Camp Vught, the former Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch, was the only SS concentration camp outside Nazi Germany and the territory annexed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. In the permanent exhibition 'Camp Vught: Seven Seasons and 32,000 Stories', visitors can explore the history of the Camp through personal stories and objects relating to people from up to 36 different nationalities. Special attention is paid to the roles people were forced, or not, to assume: that of victim, perpetrator, bystander and helper.
Overloon War Museum
The Overloon War Museum, opened on May 25, 1946, as the National War and Resistance Museum. This museum is one of the oldest museums in Europe dedicated to the Second World War. Its Motto is "War belongs in a museum".
Through its exhibits, the Overloon War Museum recounts the human toll of the five-year conflict, where millions lost their lives. However, this tragic account also sheds light on stories of survival and resilience. The museum features sections highlighting the resistance during the occupation and the liberation, with a special emphasis on the Battle of Overloon (30 September to 18 October 1944).
Wings of Liberation in Best
The Wings of Liberation Museum in Best tells the compelling story of the liberation of the southern Netherlands at the end of World War II. Located where airborne operations on September 17, 1944, marked the start of the Allied campaign as part of Operation Market Garden, the museum highlights this significant moment in history. The timeline spans the entire period from the occupation in 1940 and the years of repression until 1944, to the liberation in the final months of 1944. The museum features an extensive collection, including dioramas, photographs, tanks, aircraft, and weaponry used during Operation Market Garden.
Canadian War Cemetery Bergen op zoom
In the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen op Zoom rest 1,116 soldiers, including 968 Canadians, who fell during the Second World War. Most soldiers died during the Battle of the Scheldt from 2 October to 8 November 1944. The Battle of the Scheldt was one of the largest and most severe military operations on Dutch soil during the Second World War; a series of military operations that took place in the north of Belgium, the province of Zeeland and in West-Brabant.
Maczek Memorial Breda
The Maczek Memorial Breda tells the story of the soldiers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division who fought to liberate the Netherlands. You will hear personal stories of their journey across Europe to join the Allied Forces and about their actions during the liberation of Breda, among others. Specific attention is paid to General Stanisław Maczek, commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, who liberated Breda with as few civilian casualties as possible.
