Liberation Route Marker 68

Netherlands, the Gelderland Heilig Landstichting

LIBERATION ROUTE MARKER 68

Holy Land under fire

The Liberation Route follows the course of the Allies during the liberation of Europe. The route starts in Normandy and continues via Nijmegen and Arnhem in the direction of Berlin.

Sunday, September 17, 1944, the relatively quiet life on the Holy Land Foundation changes when thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division land near Groesbeek. While the Nazi-minded board secretary Baader flees to Germany, the museum park turns into a military encampment. Despite the liberation, the German shelling continues unabated. On 2 October a grenade rain falls on the park…

The Holy Land Foundation could remain open during the war, partly because the Reich German Baader was secretary of the board of the Holy Land Foundation. He turned out to be a fanatic member of the NSDAP, sympathized with the German occupier and maintained good contacts with the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) in Nijmegen. In 1936 German sisters had taken over the pilgrimage house Casa Nova from the Belgian sisters. The German sisters remained politically neutral as much as possible during the war, but helped people in hiding out of charity. For example, boys from the neighborhood went into hiding and free land was made available for villagers to grow their own potatoes and vegetables. The peaceful life on the Holy Land Foundation changed immediately with the dropping of thousands of paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division on Sunday September 17, 1944 near Groesbeek. Operation Market Garden had started. The Americans moved in and that same Sunday Baader fled to his homeland. Many residents of the inner city of Nijmegen fled to the Heilig Land Stichting during the fighting for the Waal bridges, so that the pilgrimage house soon became overloaded. The sisters could not handle the flow of refugees. In addition to people in hiding, including Jews and refugees, they also housed school children. On October 2, 1944, a rain of grenades from the Reichswald descended on the Holy Land Foundation. The Court of Olives, the Palace of Pilate, the Restaurant Jerusalem, the basement and the front door of the monastery and the children's chapel were hit. Many objects were lost, such as old Palestinian pottery and a collection of old Palestinian coins. A grenade pierced through the dome of the Cenacle Church. Priorin Sister Bernharda, who had been in St. Canisius Hospital for some time, was arrested on suspicion of espionage. The sisters were no longer allowed to have contact with the outside world, and on November 7, they were told to leave. Only on September 4, 1945 were they allowed to return from the Military Authority in Tilburg to Casa Nova. After February 8, 1945 peace returned to the Holy Land Foundation. A total of 34 war victims were buried in the cemetery of the Holy Land Foundation.

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