Harderwijk, Nijkerk, Zeewolde

The Second World War was a turbulent period in Dutch history. Countless aircraft flew over the Netherlands from 10 May 1940 onwards. As many as 6,000 aircraft were shot down or were otherwise involved in accidents, making emergency landings unavoidable.

Several aircraft got into trouble at high altitude and crashed. Many ended up in the dark waters of the Zuiderzee, where they remained until the land was reclaimed and the polders were created. In 2008, the Foundation 4 May Commemoration Dronten initiated a project to document and register these aircraft. To make this visible and tangible, the crash locations were marked with memorial poles.

Across Flevoland, there are 19 of these memorial poles. Three of them can be found near Zeewolde and Harderwijk. At the poles, QR codes provide more information about the aircraft and its crew.

The route takes you past special sights and monuments that keep the memory of the Second World War alive.