Liberation walking route Roosendaal

Walk past memorial stones to reflect on the fate of war victims.

Depart from the Markt in a northeasterly direction towards the Bloemenmarkt. Turn left into the Dominestraat.

The Stolpersteine in front of Dominestraat 17 commemorate the Jewish Flinker family who went into hiding and were later murdered. Dominestraat 19 is the birthplace of director Fons Rademakers of the war film 'De Aanslag' based on the book by Harry Mulisch. The right side of this street was destroyed during the bombing of 31 May 1944.

At the end, turn left (Vughstraat) and then turn right onto Ludwigstraat .

On 11 May 1940, a bombing at the intersection of Ludwigstraat and Vincentiusstraat claimed several victims, including that of diarist Paula Geerts. The 18-year-old student fled Nijmegen by bike to her parental home in Roosendaal on 10 May 1940. On 11 May, she and her brother Olav lost their lives.

At the end, turn right onto Stationsstraat and then right onto Burgemeester Schoonheijtsstraat.

Stumbling Stone Burgemeester Schoonheijtsstraat 37 for Mina Cozijn.

Turn left onto Dokter Lemmensstraat .

Stumbling stones in the Dokter Lemmensstraat for the resistance fighters Johannes Heijnen (number 6) and Pieter Penneweert (number 30).

At the end, cross the road to Stationsplein.

Roosendaal station was badly damaged during the liberation battles and was partly rebuilt in a different style by railway architect Sybold van Ravesteyn. Next to the main entrance is a memorial column for the fallen railway employees. The attic and roof of the station building were used by German soldiers at the time for anti-aircraft guns.

Turn right at Stationsplein and cross Spoorstraat, turn left and then right into Admiraal Lonckestraat.

A Stolperstein in front of Admiraal Lonckestraat 1 commemorates Jose Hennekam, who died in a concentration camp.

At the end, turn left onto Parklaan.

At the Liberation Monument , designed by Han Wezelaar, two minutes of silence are observed annually on 4 May. The monument shows a woman who is taking off her chains. The names of the war victims are inscribed in the pedestal. In the year that Roosendaal was liberated for 80 years, the White Carnation Flower Garden was created at the monument. The flower symbolises respect and appreciation for our veterans.

Continue your way via the Lyceumlaan to the Brugstraat.

In the Brugstraat at number 30 you will find a Maria chapel that was built after the war out of gratitude. In front of number 44 lies a Stolperstein for the deceased student Gerard van de Ven.

Cross over to Burgemeester Prinsensingel and immediately turn right into Vincentiusstraat.

A Stolperstein and a plaque on the facade of the former Mariadal monastery commemorate resistance fighter Father Alphonsus Gerardus Averdieck. He helped Dutch and allies go into hiding. Father Averdieck was arrested during his stay in this monastery and was executed in Vught.

Turn back and continue your route on the Burgemeester Prinsensingel.

At the end of the long monastery wall, the statue 'Wederopbouw' by Charles Vos shows two construction workers rebuilding Roosendaal brick by brick. Cephas Stauthamer designed the plaque on the side wall of Molenstraat 68 in memory of the devastating bombing on 11 May 1940. In front of Molenstraat 44 lies the Stolperstein for Hubertus Mol, a Dutch priest and resistance fighter.

Turn left onto Dunantstraat, take the first exit at the roundabout onto Boulevard and turn left at the bend to the right onto Van Gilselaan.

Stolperstein Boulevard 57 for Jacques Lemmen.

Stumbling Stone Van Gilselaan 14 for Johannes van der Slikke.

Turn left to Knipplein and continue to Kapellerlaan. Cross Van Beethovenlaan to Griendweg and turn right to Bredaseweg.

At the Roman Catholic Cemetery, there is a statue of Niel Steenbergen by the graves of the Dutch soldiers. The 38 English soldiers who fell in the battle for Roosendaal also have their final resting place here. Further on, there is a crucifix on a Calvary in the middle of the separate plot for the civilian victims, most of whom died on 31 May 1944.

That morning, a failed Allied attack cost 76 civilians their lives. The American bombs were intended for the railway area, but missed their target and landed in the centre of Roosendaal.

The General Cemetery contains the graves of 17 RAF airmen who died in the Second World War.

Turn right onto Bachlaan and at the end right onto Schubertlaan, then left onto Strausslaan. Cross Van Beethovenlaan. Walk straight ahead at the roundabout and turn left onto Burgemeester Schneiderlaan. Walk under the highway, turn right at the traffic lights onto Parabaan. Turn right immediately (cycle path) towards Commandobaan.

In 1938, the Third Border Battalion settled in the Engelbrecht van Nassau Barracks . In 1950, this became the home base of the Commando Troops Corps, which also housed the Corps' museum.

Turn left and at the end of the Commandobaan, in the bend to the left, turn right into the Visdonktunnel. Continue your route to the Burgerhoutsestraat. At the traffic lights, walk straight ahead. Turn left into the Fortuinstraat (or walk via the footpaths at Villa Mariahove, keep as far to the right as possible) and then turn right into the Dokter Heijptstraat.

In front of Dokter Heijptstraat 17 lie three Stolpersteine for widow Hirschel- van Nierop and her two daughters Blondina and Simone. They were deported to the Westerbork transit camp on 28 August 1942 and from there were immediately sent to Auschwitz, where they were killed immediately upon arrival.

At the end, turn right onto Fortuinstraat, cross Nispensestraat to Vrouwemadestraat.

Stumbling Stones Vrouwemadestraat 15 for Gedalje Wajsbaum and Ester Hopsztajn.

At the intersection, turn right onto Laan van Belgie, continue to Laan van Limburg. Turn right onto Laan van Brabant and turn left at the traffic lights before the intersection onto Burgemeester Freijterslaan. At the roundabout, take the first exit on the left onto Hulsdonksestraat.

Stumbling Stones Hulsdonksestraat 27 for Hartogh Kleef, Julia Kleef-Bollegraf, Louis Kleef, Rosa Kleef, Marcus Kleef and Helene Bollegraf.

Before the viaduct, turn right onto Engelselaan.

On October 30, 1944, British troops entered Roosendaal. Engelselaan owes its name to the British liberators of the city.

Turn right onto Sint Theresiastraat and at the end turn right onto Wouwseweg.

The former director's residence of the Agricultural Winter School at number 36. In the spring of 1944, an Aussenlager of the Vught concentration camp was located here. Prisoners who were put to work were deployed here to dig a tank ditch around Roosendaal.

Cross the roundabout on the left to the Kade.

After the bridge over the Watermolenbeek/Vliet on the Kade was blown up in October 1944, the British of the Polar Bear Division placed a Bailey bridge over the water. On 5 May 1960, the Polar Bear monument was unveiled. A high column with a polar bear on it and above the pedestal the coats of arms of the municipality, province and the regiments Duke of Wellington and Leicestershire. The bridge also features the Liberation Route Marker'Bommen ensigaret\\\', part of the Liberation Route Europe. Out of gratitude, the Redemptorist Fathers placed Archangel Michael in front of the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (de Kade 21). During the war, together with local residents, they found shelter in the monastery.

At the railway crossing on the left, take the Kadetunneltje, cross the Stationsstraat and turn left. Go right into the Emile van Loonpark. Keep right and take the underpass at the Emile van Loonhuis to the Markt.

The Resistance Monument in the Emile van Loonpark was erected for resistance fighters who died. On October 30, 1944, during the liberation of Roosendaal, the residents gathered in front of the then town hall on Markt 54, to welcome mayor Claudius Prinsen. Between Markt 33 and 35 is a bunker , which was intended by the German occupier as a cable switching point for telephone lines.

Liberation poems

Along the route you will find stickers with a QR code to Liberation Poems of the Roosendaal Poetry Route at various locations. When you scan the QR code you can read or listen to the poem directly.

71. Quay 35 Andre Verwijmeren - The Polar Bear

72. Kadeplein 3 Cees Sep - Roosendaal liberated

73. Quay 23 Babette van Rijt - 75 years of Freedom

74. Uniestede Rob Mies - Grass

75. Ludwigstraat 2 Ineke Dekkers-van der Vorst - The mistake

76. Vincentiusstraat 5 Eric van Deelen - Resistance

77. Parklaan 13 Huub Klaassen - Monument

78. Lyceumlaan 10 Ivo Weterings - Paula and death

79. Bachlaan 1 Huub Klaassen - Tommy

80. Brugstraat 44 Eric van Deelen - Stumbling Stones

81. Molenstraat 60 Leo Lotterman - Sky blue

82. Flower Market 1 Dook - Liberation

83. Market 33 Rene Spruijt - Liberation

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84. Marketplace Ilonka de Winter - The Dove of Peace

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Stumbling Stones

To reflect on the fate of victims of the Second World War. That is the purpose of the Stolpersteine, in Dutch: stumbling stones. The German term'Stolpersteine\\\' combines'stolpern\\\' (to stumble) and'Steine\\\' (stones). These memorial stones, made by the artist Gunter Demnig, are laid in the pavement in front of the former home of the victim in memory.