The story of Tiel as a frontline city in World War II has remained underexplored for years. In the WW2 Information Center, visitors receive a general overview of World War II in the area. The information center is located on the ground floor next to the entrance. Here, we aim to reference permanent presentations of World War II where more background information can be found.

Through personal stories, we want to narrate local wartime history, starting with the mobilization in September 1939 and the Tielse boys like Wim Valk who fought on the Grebbeline. Half a year later, Germany invades the Netherlands. On May 10, 1940, the residents of Tiel are startled early in the morning by planes flying westward. World War II becomes a reality.

Five grueling years under the German yoke follow. Resistance fighters often pay for their dedication to the homeland with their lives. As a reprisal for acts of resistance, civilians are executed. Due to the war, Tiel loses almost its entire Jewish community. Six families meet a tragic end in one of the concentration camps. Here, the story of Suus van Buren, who throws a postcard from the train to Auschwitz, cannot be omitted.

After the failure of Operation Market Garden in September 1944, a deadlock arose between the German troops and the Allies. The front line ran through the Betuwe. Tiel remained in German hands and was in the line of fire for months. The population was evacuated, and the last residents only returned to the heavily damaged city in July 1945.

But we do not limit ourselves to a retrospective. The influence of the events at that time and the reconstruction can still be seen in the street layout and facades of the city as we know it today. Finally, the connection is also made with current societal developments.

In the museum, there is an educational and tourist information point that tells the history of Tiel and the Rivierenland region during World War II. There is no city in Western Europe that has been in the frontline for as long (7 months) as Tiel. The consequences of the Battle of Arnhem (September 1944) have had a significant impact on Tiel and the Rivierenland region. Various characters tell their story while a short film provides an overview of the events. Experience and participation are central in this WW2 Information Center, which also serves as a referral point to other places of remembrance and museums in the Gelderse Rivierengebied region.