Welcome to the website of the
Committee to Commemorate and Celebrate Oegstgeest

The Foundation ‘Committee Commemoration & Celebration Oegstgeest’ consists of:
• Oranjevereniging Oegstgeest
• War Graves Committee
• The Halifax Committee
• The Council of Churches Oegstgeest
• Veterans Oegstgeest

The committee contributes to the organization of the annual Remembrance Day on May 4th and the celebration of the liberation on May 5th. In addition, the committee provides information about fallen soldiers, resistance fighters and civilians via this website. This site acts as a source of contact with relatives and interested parties. The website also provides information about future activities. If you want to be informed about this, you can register for the Newsletter.

PROGRAM 2024 (subject to change)
Remembrance Day on May 4
A meeting will take place on May 4 from 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM in the Dorpscentrum. The speaker will be Prof. Dr. Marjan Schwegman, former director of the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD). During the meeting, the names of the Jewish victims from Oegstgeest will also be read. The meeting is free to attend and you do not need to register.
After the meeting we walk together to the Bos van Wijckerslooth. In the Bos van Wijckerslooth (19:30-20:30) citizens and soldiers who died or were murdered in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world will be commemorated, both during the Second World War and the colonial war, as well as in war situations and peacekeeping operations thereafter. The speaker will be Aart Verburg, former pastor of the Protestant Community of Oegstgeest. Parts of the commemoration include two minutes of silence and a wreath laying ceremony

Liberation Day on May 5
On May 5, the traditional children’s free market and fair is organized by the Oranjevereniging Oegstgeest. The committee has made room on the Lijtweg for some military vehicles from the Second World War. They are a reference to the (mainly) American, Canadian and British liberators.

Commemoration at the Halifax Memorial on May 23
On May 23, the annual commemoration of the seven British and Canadian victims who died when their Halifax bomber was shot down over Oegstgeest in 1943 will take place. There will be some military vehicles from World War II. Musical assistance is provided by the bagpipers of The Red Rose of Lochbuie Pipes and Drums. The commemoration is at the monument on Kleyn Proffijtlaan in Haaswijk. Registration is at 7:30 PM and the program starts at 7:45 PM..

Lights at the war graves on December 24
On the evening of December 24, Christmas Eve, veterans from Oegstgeest will place lights at the war graves at the Groene Kerkje cemetery. A commemoration with lights will also take place at the same time at war graves throughout the Netherlands.

Installation of new Stolpersteine (expected in July or later)
The committee will have placed nine Stolpersteine (Stumbling Stones) in Oegstgeest in 2023. The stones commemorate victims of Nazi terror. Each stone has a name, date of birth and death and place of death. The stones are placed in the street in front of the victim’s last home address. 10 stones are on order for installation in 2024.

This program is subject to interim changes. Follow our website and sign up for our Newsletter!