This memorial route takes both drivers and cyclists along places on the beautiful island of Texel, where remnants of World War II are still visible. Along this route, you will get a good picture of the history of Texel from 1940-1945 and the victims who unfortunately never got to witness the liberation of the island are commemorated.
Last turbulent years
The first years of the war were quite uneventful on Texel, but all this changed during the final years. During the Dutch famine of '44-'45, many children from Amsterdam were sent to Texel to escape starvation. Also, 806 men from Texel were deported to Assen, where they were forced to reinforce the defence line against the Allied Forces.
Georgian uprising
While the rest of the Netherlands was already celebrating the liberation on 5 May, World War II was still raging on Texel. Between 5 April and 20 May 1945, the island was the scene of a bloody battle between the Georgian soldiers and the German occupants, also known as the Georgian uprising. The Georgian uprising will long be remembered and is still commemorated every year.