Monument

Monument at the Julianaplantsoen

Pays-Bas

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The monument keeps alive the memory of the 34 inhabitants of Sevenum who were killed during the occupation years. The unveiling by Jan de Quay took place on 4 May1946. The future prime minister (1959-1963) had been in hiding there.

The monument has the shape of a ruin, with the propeller of an English fighter-bomber shot down over Sevenum placed on top. That happened on Wednesday, 22 November 1944, the day Sevenum was liberated. The ruins are made of rubble from the tower of the parish church that the Germans had blown up shortly before their retreat in the night of 21 to 22 November 1944. Both remnants of war symbolically convey the message of the memorial: "Above the rubble caused by the war in our village, soar high the blades of liberation, bent, not broken." The latter is a reference to the propeller that did not break upon landing, but bent. After the restoration in 1970, a plaque was attached to the granite pedestal with the names of the 34 inhabitants of Sevenum who were killed during the war.

During the occupation years, Sevenum had a relatively large and versatile resistance movement with a remarkably broad base of support among the population. For example, many Jewish people in hiding found a safe haven thanks to the efforts of courageous inhabitants such as Piet Arts -Piet with the beard- and Eugenie Boutet. Other persecuted persons could also go here. Unfortunately, some paid for their resistance work with their lives. Others died as a result of acts of war. Even after the liberation, there were still casualties due to the explosion of armaments that had been left behind.

Although Sevenum has several war memorials, the annual commemoration of the dead on 4 May takes place at the Monument at the Julianaplantsoen.

Adresse

Molenveldweg/De Donckstraat, Sevenum