Monument Inhabitants Schaesberg

This monument on the south side of the Dekenale Petrus en Pauluskerk in Schaesberg commemorates all inhabitants of the former municipality of Schaesberg who died during the occupation years as a result of acts of war. The bronze statue on a hard stone plinth was unveiled on 7 May 1950 by the then Queen's Commissioner in the province of Limburg, Dr F.J.M.A.H. Houben.

The bronze statue contains two female figures, one of which lifts the coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands - with the Dutch lion on it. The other woman is holding a bundle of orange branches. They thus symbolize the recovery of a free Netherlands and are a tribute to the war victims.

The statue is placed on a columnar pedestal of white stone. 3 heraldic coats of arms are embossed on this pedestal:
- on the front the municipal coat of arms of Schaesberg surmounted by the image of Saint Fredericus, the patron saint of Schaesberg,
- on the left the coat of arms with the eagle of the USA, whose troops liberated Schaesberg on Monday September 18, 1944, and
- on the right a coat of arms containing a reference to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, including an image of the Leender Chapel.
The statue is 1 meter 20 high and 80 centimeters wide.

To the left and right of the column are the low natural stone remnants of the fountain basin, which was not rebuilt after it was moved to Kerkplein.
The left remnant bears the inscription 'TO THEM WHO FELL', the right remnant the inscription 'FOR THE FATHERLAND'.

In May 2015, a plaque was placed with the names of 35 Schaesberg war victims, namely 6 resistance fighters, 26 civilians and 3 military personnel.

Resistance fighters
H. Tholen
M. van de Wetering
A. Koenders
M.J. Haan
W.H. van Mil
H.H. Balter

Citizens
W.J. van Hal
H.M.M. van Hal–Roufs
W.J.M. Weerts
G.T. Weerts-Kasteel
H.A. Mevissen-Winthaegen
L.J.W. Mevissen
H.F. Mevissen
J.W. Mevissen
J. van den Elzen-Van de Kerkhof
J.B. Giessen
I.M.E.E. Bastin
O.J.A.G. Bastin
G.J.W. Bloem
S.M.A. Bloem-Visser
G.N.A. Bremen
J. Dekker
M. Hollender
J.W. Janssen
O.J.O. Prieckaerts
H.C.O. Prieckaerts
G.A.O. Prieckaerts
H.E.J. Prieckaerts
M.L.H.C Reumkens
H.M. Zimniak
S.H.J. Moonen
H. Helders

Military
LJ Ramakers
S. Klaassen
JJ Reinaerts

The substructure of the monument originally consisted of a fountain basin. The memorial was first placed on the edge of a cistern with a fountain in the park on the corner of Spoorstraat/Hoofdstraat. In the late 1970s, the statue was moved to its current location. The fountain basin was not rebuilt. And in May 2015 the above plaque was added.

Addition with plaque
In May 2015, a plaque was placed with the names of 35 Schaesberg war victims: 6 resistance fighters, 3 military personnel and 26 civilians.

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Source

• Text: Wim Slangen
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze (1), Wim Slangen (2, 3, 4)