Partners

The Dutch National Foundation for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Care (vfonds) supports a variety of projects aiming to support peace and freedom within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

1. to create awareness and respect for uniformed personnel and veterans who have been involved in peace operations anywhere in the world; In addition to military veterans, the vfonds also regards former officers of police and fire brigades as her target groups.

2. to keep the memory of the Second World War alive by commemorating the victims, honouring the Veterans and celebrating peace and freedom.
Within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and throughout the world over 3900 war monuments, museums and commemoration centers form a reminder of conflicts and peace operations in which the Netherlands was involved. They serve to keep the memory of wartime alive; a cause which the vfonds supports.

3. to support peace, democracy and the rule of (international) law.
Simultaneous to keeping the memories of wartime alive, the vfonds invests in projects of which young generations are the most important target group, aiming to create awareness for the achievement of peace and democracy.

The National Committee for 4 and 5 May helps determine how meaning is given to commemorating and celebrating and to how the memory of the Second World War is kept alive. It organises the national observance of Remembrance Day on 4 May and the national celebration of Liberation Day on 5 May. In addition, it provides advice and support to the organisers of commemoration ceremonies held elsewhere in the country, and it organises public information programmes and campaigns. In 2019 and 2020 we will be celebrating the 75th anniversay of the liberation of the Netherlands and the fact that we have enjoyed living in freedom since then. In addition to the existing commemorations and celebrations, the National Committee for 4 and 5 May will be organising a number of large-scale events, together with Stichting coördinatie 75 jaar vrijheid [Foundation for the coordination of 75 years of freedom].

In 2019 and 2020 we commemorate and celebrate all over Europe the 75th anniversary of World War II with numerous commemorations and related events in the different countries. It is a unique moment to honor veterans and to keep alive the legacy of World War II and its significance for Europe today. With more than 250 partners, Liberation Route Europe will implement the ‘Europe Remembers’ program in 2019/2020: a large-scale international commemorative campaign, an international travel guide in collaboration with renowned publisher Rough Guides and the realization of a long-distance walking route from London to Berlin.

Liberation Route Europe is a continuously growing, international remembrance trail that connects important milestones from modern European history. It forms a link between the main regions along the Western Allied Forces’ advance during the liberation of Europe in 1944-1945. We consider the past and its significance for today’s Europe, from different perspectives and with an eye for reflection and inspiration. Our aim, is to combine the Liberation Route with innovative and sustainable tourism products and special offers, in collaboration with our international partners, in order to make this core part of European history more visible and more accessible for visitors from all over the world.

Heritage is all around us. It brightens up and brings colour to our lives. This heritage is managed by many different people and organisations and is not clearly visible to everyone. Erfgoed Gelderland aims to improve the visibility and quality of our heritage. As part of a partnership of heritage organisations, we work for and together with members who are concerned about this heritage: together we are giving the past a future. The expertise of our staff is available to anyone who recognises the importance of holding onto our heritage, collections and stories and making them visible. Erfgoed Gelderland is a source of knowledge and cohesion in this area, ensuring heritage remains firmly on the map.

Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen is specialised in destination management, development and marketing. Through innovative marketing activities, hospitality services and expertise, we are putting the Arnhem, Nijmegen and Veluwe regions on the map as a destination for visitors from the Netherlands and abroad. In conjunction with both public-sector and private-sector partners, we are striving to attract visitors who stay longer, spend more and come back for repeat visits. Our overarching aim is to increase the share of the tourism market for our regions.

In collaboration with vfonds and the province of Gelderland, Omroep Gelderland has established the online platform ‘75 jaar vrijheid, op weg naar 2020’ (‘75 years of freedom, moving towards 2020’). Together, we work towards the celebration of 75 years of Dutch liberation in 2020. We provide the inhabitants of Gelderland an online platform of remembrance, full of personal stories about WO II. References to daily life routines and feelings of hope and fear take a vital place. Often, only a thin line separates joy from sorrow. Feel free to share your own story, photographs or videos via www.75jaarvrijheid.nl, or social media. Every contribution is highly appreciated.