Memorial Place for the Polish soldiers of Breda

The plan to relocate the 80 Polish graves from the Ginneken cemetery in Breda to the cemetery at Ettensebaan is an extremely sensitive matter. Anyone wishing to pass judgment on this must be prepared to confront the full history of the Polish liberators in Breda. It concerns not only the war and the liberation, but also the post-war lives of those who remained in Breda — lives about which silence has endured for far too long.

For these men and their families, the post-war period did not mean carefree years of freedom and joy. Dutch politics – including at the local level – abandoned them. Gratitude came primarily from the citizens, not from the political ranks. Their status as heroes was short-lived, but the suffering was carried by them and their families throughout their entire lives.

By relocating the 80 Polish graves, not only will their rest once again be disturbed, but it will also disregard the wish of those who chose to be laid to rest beside their comrades. This is a wish that must not be ignored or denied.

The design by architect ir. Arthur Cuber offers a dignified compromise. It honours all whose voices have forever fallen silent. It protects them from silence and oblivion. And it unequivocally acknowledges the injustice inflicted upon Polish soldiers in Breda by the political choices of the past.