The team

of 80 years of liberation Valkenburg aan de Geul

On Friday, September 13, 2024 we celebrated the fact that it was eighty years ago that the US troops liberated Sibbe as the first village of our municipality and drove their jeeps through the Daelhemerweg down to Valkenburg. To a long period of occupation, of discontent, of deportation of fellow citizens, Jews, Sinti and Roma. Of forced labor in Germany, of arresting, imprisoning and even executing of those who resisted, came to an end. Valkenburg had been liberated!

Since July 2023, a working group met regularly to give substance to 80 years of Liberation: how to commemorate and how to celebrate.
Many activities were organized.
We want to report on all this here.

Workgroup 80 Years Liberation Valkenburg aan de Geul:
Anton Laeven, Arnold and Gerda Schunck: descendants of resistance people in Valkenburg
Claar Habets: Sint Gerlachus Church, Houthem
Cleo Janssen: Secretary workgroup Valkenburg 80 jaar bevrijd.
David Loozen, Vincent Loozen, Evelien Flachs:
    Foundation We Do Remember: Exhibition Through their Eyes
Els Diederen, Jan Schurgers, Jo van Aken, Jos Smeets:
    editors of the book Valkenburg 2024, 80 jr bevrijd.
Evelien Flachs: PR
Gert Veenhuizen: Landal Parks, Valkenburg
GOC Parkstad with six volunteers. Contact secretariat Danielle Bouwens
Guy Caelen: Stichting Struikelstenen, Valkenburg (Stumbling Stones Foundation)
Jo van Aken and Riet Nijland: workgroup Peace Valkenburg aan de Geul
Jos Geelen, Jos Rodenburg, Hugo Soudant, Stef van de Broeck:
    Veteranen Valkenburg, Jos Rodenburg: 2nd chairman
Jos Smeets: Platform Wereldburgerschap (Mail Jos Smeets),
    chairman workgroup Valkenburg 80 jaar Bevrijding
Marjo Bouwens and Hub Aussems:
    Treasurers workgroup Valkenburg 80 jaar Bevrijding
Parish priest Dieteren: Kerken aan de Geul, parochiefederatie Valkenburg
Parish priest Jansen: Sint Nikolaas and Barbara parish
Patrick Seinstra, Peter Gulikers: Reenactor group Liberty Maastricht
Ralph Peters: Best Defense Foundation,
Roger Moreno and Bluma Meinhardt: Sinti and Roma Community
Ruud Coenen, Roger Zoontjes, Joep Zoontjes:
    reenactors Old Hickory Zuid Limburg
Therese Schreurs: Platform Wereldburgerschap
Willem Vermeer: Kunst- en Cultuurraad (KCR)

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