Sint-Niklaas (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Sint-Niklaas Peace Festivals celebrate 80 years since liberation in WWII, featuring a 30-square-meter flower carpet made from 20,000 dahlias and a mural honoring a local liberation story. The festivities also include a balloon festival despite ongoing renovations.
This year in 2024, the Peace Festivals, which were called Liberation Festivals before, celebrate 80 years since Sint-Niklaas was freed in World War II. It has been said that one special thing is a flower carpet on the town hall. About 20 volunteers from Sint-Niklaas started working at 4 am on 5th September Thursday to make this big flower display, which is about thirty square meters. Koen Vondenbusch, the coordinator, said they picked the flowers on 4th September Wednesday night to keep them fresh. They used 20,000 dahlias to recreate a famous photo from September 9, 1944, when the brigades happily arrived in the city. They also included a tribute to Brigade Piron in the carpet because they helped a lot during the liberation.
How does Sint-Niklaas celebrate its liberation legacy?
A new mural was revealed on Knaptandstraat, showing the story of Danielle Hanssens and her Polish liberator, Eugeniusz Olszewski, who married shortly after the liberation in 1945. The artist, Smates, created a touching image that connects with people. This spot is special because it was one of the roads used during the liberation of Sint-Niklaas. The unveiling was emotional for Danielle’s family, especially her nephew Philippe, who felt proud of the mural, honoring his aunt who visited Sint-Niklaas every year until she passed away last year at 99.
It has been said that despite the renovations at the Grote Markt, the square will be full of life again during the Vredefeesten with the balloon festival. Mayor Lieven Dehandschutter said that the balloons are a big draw for people. This year, there’s a new city balloon in yellow and blue, featuring the skyline of the Grote Markt. The old balloon was from 2016, and it’s normal to get a new one every few years.
