Europe Remembers and Celebrates; Honoring history through flowers
80 years of liberty
In May 2025, the Netherlands will mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation, commemorating the end of the German occupation in 1945. This significant event marks the culmination of five long years of occupation, which began in May 1940, and the eventual liberation by Allied Forces.
Acts of remembrance started almost as soon as the war ended and continue to this day. Every child in The Netherlands grows up observing 2 minutes of silence at 20:00 (8 PM) on May 4th. People gather at local remembrance sites or watch the national commemoration on TV.
30 years of Wave®
As PanAmerican Seed ® celebrates 30 years of Wave ®, we believed it was time to connect with the local council and discuss how we could participate in the 80-year commemoration and celebration.
Collaboration with the county
The counties of Stede Broec, Enkhuizen, and Drechterland were open to partnering with PanAmerican Seed® to beautify war memorials, creating living tributes that celebrate remembrance.
Shortly after, members of the county visited PanAmerican Seed. They were given a tour of the facilities and were amazed by the size of our site. Ruud Brinkkemper provided background information, and a collaborative agreement was signed by Wethouder Idso Brouwer and Ruud Brinkkemper.
In this agreement, we committed to enriching the remembrance sites within the county with red and white Wave® Petunias. These will be replaced by red and white Impatiens Beacon® to guarantee an honourable site all summer long.
Respect and remember
Both the county and PanAmerican Seed aim to respect and remember all who lost their lives, while also paying tribute to veterans and bringing attention to the stories of eyewitnesses and survivors. We carry their memory forward as our shared responsibility
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