Wijchen Peace Monument

‘To all those who gave their lives for peace, wherever in the world.’ This is the inscription on this monument, which commemorates the suffering caused by all wars. The monument was designed by Henk Scheffer, a resident of Wijchen, to mark the 40th anniversary of Wijchen’s liberation. On Saturday 8 September 1984, the Queen’s Commissioner for Gelderland, Mr De Bruijne, came to Wijchen to unveil the memorial. Commemorative events are held at the monument, including the commemoration of the liberation of Wijchen and the surrounding area on 17 September. The monument is also intended as a warning against the rise of fascism and racism. The white concrete column symbolises ‘good’. The shields, made of hot-dip galvanised steel, symbolise evil. Evil attempts to penetrate good, seeking to destroy it, but is repelled because good ultimately has greater strength.