{"id":140517,"date":"1956-06-16T11:12:00","date_gmt":"1956-06-16T09:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/war-memorial\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T23:01:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T21:01:42","slug":"war-memorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/en\/area\/monuments\/war-memorial\/","title":{"rendered":"War Memorial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whemerstraat, Aalten<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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\"War\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Photo: Archmedus – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The war memorial on the Wheme was erected in memory of all fellow citizens who died<\/a> during the occupation years as a result of acts of war. The memorial also commemorates the liberation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The establishment of the memorial was an initiative of the Monument Foundation 1940-1945 committee. Immediately after the liberation, the population of Aalten felt the need to honour the war victims with a monument. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monument consists of a statue of a male figure with a woman and child. The sculpture of French limestone is placed on a terrace. The pedestal consists of masonry, concrete and natural stone. The memorial is 1 meter 31 high, 1 meter 43 wide and 90 centimeters deep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monument was unveiled on 16 June 1956 by Hendrik Jan (Uncle Jan) Wikkerink<\/a>, leader of the former resistance movement in Aalten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The text on the pedestal reads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OM TE DOENGEDENKEN1940 \u2013<\/span> 1945(‘TO COMMEMORATE’)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group faces south from where the tribulation, but also the deliverance, came. Artist B\u00e9 Thoden van Velzen described the sculpture as follows: “… representing man, woman and child, as a symbol of the entire Dutch people, expectantly looking forward to liberation, unbowed and unweakened.”<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Function<\/td>Monument<\/td><\/tr>
Disclosure<\/td>1956<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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