Statue of 'The Escape'

12th May 1940. Breda is threatened to be caught between the German and French lines. There are rumours that the Germans are going to bomb Breda. Breda is given one day to evacuate its residents.
Fifty thousand people have to leave the city. They flee in great numbers. On bicycles, on foot, and with prams. A long procession heads south. 91 people are killed along the way due to German shelling.
When it turns out to have been a false alarm, everyone can quickly return home. However, communication is poor and some groups remain on the run for months and deep into France.

A monument commemorating the Flight of Breda stands in Valkenberg. It was created by Hein Koreman. Every year on 4th May, the commemoration of the dead takes place here.