After the liberation, Hans (86) and his friends were looking forward to adventure: ‘We knew what to do with those tanks that were left behind’

Hans Jarec (86) from Meerhoven was only 6 years old when Eindhoven was liberated on September 18, 1944. Nevertheless, his memories of the liberation of Stratum are vivid. Together with children from the neighbourhood, he was quite inventive.

Hans grew up in Stratum, where he lived with his mother and three brothers in the Stekelroosstraat. The liberation made an impression. “In no time, our street was full of army vehicles. At the Primulastraat and the Aalsterweg, prisoners of war walked into Eindhoven along columns. Behind them, allied soldiers walked with rifles in their hands. Although they did not smile, you could see that those men were proud.”

The longest day
For Hans, the liberation is the reason to organise a film evening on September 18. In Zeecafé De Blinkerd in Meerhoven he shows The longest day, a film from 1962 that shows authentic images of the Second World War. “First I tell something about my own memories from that time. Then we sit still for three hours and watch.” Hans is glad that he can still tell his story. Can the war be understood by today’s youth? “This time cannot be compared to the past. To really understand the war, you unfortunately have to have experienced it.”

Read more on Ed.nl (in Dutch).