Vector of Memory: Wageningen, City of Liberation

Wageningen, City of Liberation
Wageningen was liberated on 17 April 1945 by troops of the British 49th Infantry Division. But nobody was there to celebrate. The city had been evacuated on 1 October 1944 and German troops had left Wageningen before the arrival of the Allies.

The capitulation of the German armies in the Netherlands, North-West Germany and Denmark was signed on 4 May 1945 on the Lüneburger Heide in Germany. From 5 May onwards, they had to follow the orders of the Allies.

The Allied orders were presented by the Canadian General Foulkes on 5 May 1945 in Hotel De Wereld to General Blaskowitz, commander of the German army in the Netherlands. Blaskowitz requested a day's postponement to gather the necessary information on the German troop strength, arms depots and ammunition stocks, among other things. The Orders to German Commanders on Surrender were therefore signed on 6 May, although the document bears the date 5 May 1945.

Audiospot - The German capitulation in Wageningen

Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.

A separate group within the routes are the Vectors of Memory designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. They form a symbolic family of landmarks that honor people, places and stories in the European landscape. The vectors are a topography of memory. They act as points in both space and time and connect to the liberation story. It is important that the markers convey a clear and powerful message.

There are 4 types of vectors:
- The Remembrance Site Vector
- The Crossroads Vector
- The Wall Vector
- The Floor Vector

For more information on the Vectors of Memory see the Liberation Route Europe site: https://www.lre-foundation.org/vectors-of-memory/.
The routes can be found on the website of Liberation Route Europe or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze