Liberation Route Marker 161: Hiding with sister Cornelia

Hiding with sister Cornelia
In November 1944, Moerdijk lies on the front line. Many residents flee, but about 250 civilians seek refuge in the cellars of the convent. Sister Cornelia keeps a diary about the events.

In early November, the 1st Polish Armoured Division had nearly reached its goal in West Brabant: Moerdijk. While the Poles advanced from Terheijden and Zevenbergschenhoek, the US 104th Infantry Division, known as the Timberwolves, also approached from Zevenbergen. The Poles launched heavy artillery fire at Moerdijk. They had to silence the German anti-tank positions near Moerdijk.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Moerdijk were subjected to a veritable inferno of grenades and shelling. Many of them were evacuated, but around 250 inhabitants had sought refuge in the cellars of the monastery on the Steenweg.

Sister Cornelia was one of the sisters who helped them. In her diary, she accurately described all events surrounding the liberation that finally came on the 9th of November 1944.

Audiospot - Hiding with sister Cornelia

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.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Nanny Bierkens-Brouwers (1, 2), Arie van Wijngaarden (3, 4, 5)