Marleen Bakker en Kunstbedrijf Arnhem

Operation Market Garden stranded in the Betuwe in late September 1944. The front stiffened along the river Linge. Sudden shellfire and sniper fire made soldiers' lives difficult. Autumn rains also caused flooding. The foxholes flooded. From early December, things got even worse when German troops blew up the Rijndijk near Elden. Much of the Betuwe flooded. The No Man's Land became a 'No Man's Water'. Meanwhile, friend and foe alike had evacuated the citizenry en masse. No matter where the exodus took the residents, everyone felt displaced. It was not until early April 1945 that the war ended in the Over-Betuwe. The Allies then captured the still occupied part of the region. 'The Wing' is the symbol that refers to all those acts of war. In addition, it is a metaphor for those who have not yet freed themselves from war. Breaking free mentally from the violence of war is a long process. Unprocessed pain and misery are a handicap, make one flabby. The quest for redemption from war pain applies to both military and civilian. Understanding and attention can have a healing effect. For that reason, this memorial is also an ode to those, who stay in our midst as war refugees and to the veteran, who has been on a peace mission. Forget death and you have no life. Forget the war and you have no peace.

The Netherlands

The monument represents a 7 meter tall steel wing sticking out of the ploughed earth at an angle. It serves as a metaphor for the people that still have not been ´liberated´ from the war.

Operation Market Garden came to a halt in the Betuwe at the end of September 1944. The front stabilised along the river Linge. Shelling took place back and forth while patrols and man to man fighting were common activities. During this period the evacuation of the civilian population took place. The German forces blew up a dike at Elden flooding the country. No man´s land turned into No man´s water. It took until April 1945 before the war came to an end for the Overbetuwe. After endless evacuations the civilians returned to their destroyed and plundered houses. Many places were still unsafe due to the presence of explosives but the process of rebuilding could start.

The mental consequences of a war are hard to shake off. The pain and suffering sustained by those who witnessed the events can be a true handicap. The monument serves to remind us of the suffering people have endured even after the war came to and end. It also serves as a monument for war refugees and veterans that took part in peace missions around the world.

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