Belgian non-profit Heroes of Resistance are organising a 48-hour reading marathon at the Fort Breendonk, in tribute to Belgian Resistance fighters killed during the Second World War.
This week, celebrations and commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day are in full swing. The day marks the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the Second World War in 1945.
An estimated 19,000 resistance members were killed by the occupiers and their collaborators during the Nazi occupation of Belgium between May 1940 and February 1945.
The reading marathon began on Tuesday at 14:00, and is set to end 48 hours later on Thursday 8 May at the Fort Breendonk. The former SS-run prison was used for the torture and interrogation of political prisoners and members of the resistance during the war.
Some 150 well-known and lesser-known Belgians will take turns to read out the names of resistance fighters who lost their lives without stopping. It is being organised to remember the courage of the members of the Belgian Resistance on the 80th anniversary to "keep their memory alive."
Newly arrived prisoners at Fort Breendonk wait to be registered and clothed on 13 June 1941. Anyone who dared to move during this procedure were severely beaten by the Nazi guards. Credit: Gestapo Museum
They knew the risks
During the reading, the names and stories of the members of the Belgian Resistance who were assassinated are being read out – with the commemoration having a symbolic meaning this year on VE Day's 80th anniversary.
"It is important to ensure the sacrifices are not forgotten today in Belgium," organiser and found of Heroes of Resistance, Dany Neudt, told The Brussels Times moments before the start of the marathon.
"It is important to remember because, especially in Flanders, they have been largely forgotten in the past decades. We want to contribute an honour them," Neudt continues.
The event, in Dutch, is being streamed online to make it as accessible as possible. It is not difficult to find people who are willing to pay tribute, Neudt says, with each participant reading for a maximum of 20 minutes.
Different Belgian figures are participating in the Heroes of Resistance event at Fort Breendonk. Credit: Helden Van Herzet
"They can inspire us as geopolitical tensions are growing, conspiracy theories are spreading, more or less like in the 30s," Neudt said. "Of course, every period is different, but there are many resemblances."
Heroes of Resistance's work revisits the forgotten stories of the Belgian Resistance. At the heart of the tribute, is honouring the courage shown by ordinary Belgians who "rose up against the fascists and the Nazi occupier" during one of the darkest periods of the country’s modern history.
"Although they were well aware of the dangers, they took the risks for themselves and for their families, and they did it anyway. So that's why we need to remember them. To remember and to inspire."
The event is live streaming until 8 May 14:00 on the Heroes of Resistance website.
