MUSEUMS & EVENTS
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Hiking to Liberation A pan-european cultural foundation has launched a new series of trails where walkers can visit key WWII battlegrounds from 1944-45
Liberation Route Europe (LRE) Foundation is an international network connecting people and organisations that preserve and value the memory, meaning and heritage of WWII. It organises and manages projects and events and has national branches, members and partners around the world. It has recently announced a certified Council of Europe ‘Cultural Route’ connecting places and people that mark Europe’s liberation from occupation during WWII. This is a new European-wide system of hiking trails along the ‘Liberation Route Europe’ – a transnational itinerary that links main regions along the advance of Allied forces during 1944-45.
Developed in collaboration with hiking associations across Europe, the new trails link museums, memorials, cemeteries and historical sites along the Allied forces’ advance in the last phase of WWII and aim to stretch for 10,000km. The hiking experience is accompanied by the new LRE website and travel planner. This allows the public to read and listen to many stories about the war and plan their journey along the trails.
Renowned architect Daniel Libeskind has designed a symbolic family of trail markers called ‘Vectors of Memory’ that honours the people, places and stories found throughout the European landscape. To complete the experience along the Liberation Route Europe, the Foundation has created ‘Audio Spots’. Originating in the Arnhem-nijmegen region in 2008, there are now over 200 audio spots in the Netherlands and Germany. Told in English, Dutch and German, the spots enable visitors to read and listen about what happened at a specific location during 1944-45. These link major, well-known events with personal stories and experiences.
On 22 July 2021, the LRE Foundation, in collaboration with the Best Defence Foundation, escorted several American veterans who served in Germany in 1945 for a visit to the German-russian Museum and Allied Museum in Berlin. The German-russian Museum is located at the site of the unconditional surrender of Germany on 8 May 1945 while the Allied Museum honours the commitment of the Western
Powers in defending West Berlin’s freedom. The veterans then attended the online international launch of the LRE hiking trails.
Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation says: “We are excited to launch this new system of hiking trails connecting regions, sites and historical places across Europe. These trails are a new, meaningful and sustainable way to experience the Liberation Route Europe. This is only the beginning. We are excited to expand to new regions and countries in the upcoming years.”
For more on the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails visit: www.liberationroute.com