Memorial Deported Police Deurne - Wim Saerensplein

The Peace Memorial was built in memory of part of the Deurns police force that was arrested by the German occupier on January 14, 1944 and taken to the concentration camps, Buchenwald or Gross-Rosen. Only 8 officers returned, 35 were left and died. Part of it is remembered through street names around and around Wim Saerensplein.

The Peace Monument, consisting of granite columns (for all the police officers who have died) and granite benches (with the names of the returnees) are a reminder of the horror of this war. A separate column with a pulpit is a reminder of Mayor Alfons Schneider. He was also deported and did not survive. In the centre is an inverted pyramid with pictures of the police officers. The visitor also sees himself in the reflection and realizes that this could have happened to him too. The water that trickles down through the pyramid symbolizes how life continues again and again. The Peace Monument was unveiled on January 14, 2018 and is an initiative of the Deurne district, the Peace Center and the 'Friends of the Doorne Peace Monument'.

 

BERCKMANS Petrus - BODSON Theo - BOEX Victor (came back) - BRAEM Lucien - CLAES Vital (came back) - COOLS Albert - DE BACKER Frans

DE BAKKER Laurent - DE BEUCKELAER Petrus - DE GEEST Louis - DE MAEYER Albertus - DE PRE Martin - DE RIDDER Jan - FAHY Eugeen

GEERAERTS Louis (came back) - GILIS Leopold - HEIRWEGH Louis - HERMANS Andre - MERTENS Willem - NEIJS Roger (came back) 

PEETERS Albert (came back) - RAEYMAEKERS Petrus - ROGIERS Achiel - SAERENS Willem - SPIETAELS Albert - SRTOBBE Jozef - STENTEN Stan

VAN CAMP Jan - VAN HEYMBEECK Jaak - VAN HOEYDONCK (came back) - VAN HOOF Albertus - VAN LAETHEM Maurice  - VAN MECHELEN Frans

VAN OVERMEIRE Karel - VAN REETH Pieter - VAN RILLAER Stanislas - VEERMAN Joseph (came back) - VERBIST Frans - VERCAMMEN Alfons

VEROUSTRAETE Triphon - VERSMISSEN Jan - VOET Jos - WOUTERS Jan (came back) - WUYTS Jos