Liberation Route Marker 482: The Renesse Ten

The Renesse Ten
December 1944. Schouwen-Duiveland was largely inundated. A large part of the population, except from the Westhoek, has been taken away. When all men aged 17- 40 have to go to Germany, it is decided to make the population registers of Renesse and surrounding municipalities disappear.

The occupying forces are furious. Ten people, thereafter known as The Ten of Renesse, try to escape to liberated territory. They are arrested and sentenced to death by hanging. At Moermond Castle, between two large trees, nine of the ten are hanged. The tenth prisoner, the badly wounded town clerk Lazonder, has to watch. He died during the night and was hung with the others. The Germans force family and villagers to come and watch after the hanging. The bodies are left hanging for 48 hours as a deterrent.


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: Arjan Vrieze