National Field of Honour Loenen
National Field of Honour Loenen is the final resting place of nearly 4,000 Dutch war victims: soldiers and civilians. They lost their lives during the Second World War or during violent conflicts afterwards - such as in the former Dutch East Indies or during international (peace) missions.
The graves on the plot are scattered almost inconspicuously over a wooded area. There are no straight rows of crosses here, but tombs decorated with lying stones. Here are the graves of men, women and children: resistance fighters, forced laborers, England sailors, victims of persecution, but also victims of the Japanese internment camps in Indonesia and soldiers who died during (peace) missions in Korea, Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Mali. 80% of them are citizens. The chapel in the center of the field of honor commemorates 130,000 people who have no identifiable grave.
On the edge of the war cemetery and at the adjacent National Veterans Cemetery Loenen is the memorial and education center designed by KAAN architects. Meet six relatives of war victims. Discover the stories of a daughter, grandson, mother, sister and niece who tell about their lost loved ones and their lives. Also listen to the veterans share their own experiences in a war zone. The stories also provide an overview of the many international (peace) missions that continue to this day. The exhibition was designed by Tinker Imagineers.
At the National Veterans Cemetery Loenen, located next to the war cemetery, soldiers are buried who during their lives worked for peace and security within and outside the Netherlands. They survived the missions and have the last wish to be buried with other veterans.