The LRE Foundation (LREF) is a growing international, inclusive network that connects people and organisations dedicated to preserving and valorising the tangible and intangible cultural heritage related to World War II, its memory and meaning. The organisation’s main objective is to make this history relevant and accessible, especially for the younger generations. The Foundation has three key tourism projects: Liberation Route Europe, Europe Remembers, and the LRE Youth Programme.
The Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe that links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945. In order to make the route a physical part of the European landscape, LREF is developing a network of Liberation Route Europe trails that allows new ways to experience the route by hiking, walking, and cycling.
Europe Remembers is an awareness campaign launched by the LRE Foundation in collaboration with various organizations across Europe to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Europe Remembers aims to promote and raise awareness around WWII history and heritage, as well as the upcoming commemorative events and exhibitions throughout Europe.
Engaging the younger generations is a key objective for the LRE Foundation. The LRE Youth Programme promotes innovative forms of active remembrance and memory transmission, ensuring that even as living memory becomes history, the stories and sacrifices of individuals will not be forgotten.
The further we get from the events of the World War II, and with the passing of veterans and eyewitnesses, the easier this history is to forget. This is a problem we face today, and which we strive to overcome in our work. The role of the Foundation is to preserve this history, ensure it is remembered and transmitted to future generations.
So far in our work we have successfully carried out many youth programmes to engage young people through workshops, exhibitions, competitions and walking trips. Our Liberation Route Europe project includes 1,500+ historical points of interest to date, with 300+ personal stories and biographies, and 60+ themed routes to discover. Through outdoor and online marketing campaigns, our Europe Remembers international awareness campaign for the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II reached between 35 and 40 million people. For the 80th anniversary we are launching an updated version of this campaign to continue our results in raising awareness and preserving memory.