5th candle: What means freedom to me?

A Valkenburg eyewitness: Adri van de Meiracker

I promised to comment on my findings from last Sept. 13/14. First of all, my compliments for all the work you and all those who participated in this great event.
In particular I think of David Loozen, with whom I had an excellent collaboration and for whom no effort was too much. With a great deal of respect and admiration. I was completely overwhelmed by the entire event and, above all, I am very happy with the enthusiasm that I have encountered everywhere. Too much to tell about. Only problem was that I ran out of time. I should have stayed quite a few days longer in Valkenburg!!!
The celebration in the church of St. Gerlach was impressive. So was the one in St. Nicholas Church.
I was able to have the pleasure of speaking with some WW2 veterans, which really touched me.

The loving approach of Georges and Claudia Laheij of Hotel Walram was also heartwarming.
David Loozen gave me and my grandson an extensive tour of the exhibition on Saturday, 14/9. A work that I very much admired and for me thoughts were thrown back to Sept. 14, 1944. Something that was in fact faded by time for me. A more than excellent piece of work.

Editor’s note: The detailed story of Adrie van de Meiracker is mentioned further on in this report Adventure walk point 19: How I experienced the liberation in Valkenburg.

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to make my presentation to the youth. But this has been discussed at length!!!

To recap, a wonderful affair for me that will stay with me for a long time and have much time to digest.

With cordial greetings from
Adrie van den Meiracker /Alkmaar.

| resistance in Valkenburg | genocide of the Jews in Limburg | genocide of the Romani in Limburg and elsewhere | Germans killed in action in Valkenburg-Houthem |