A historic obelisk in the city centre which marks the twinning of Bath with the Dutch city of Alkmaar in March 1945 has been relisted to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Victory in Europe in 1945.
The obelisk in Orange Grove | Photo © Historic England
It is one of a number of new or updated listings to mark VE Day granted by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
The obelisk, which has been relisted at Grade II, is sited near Parade Gardens in Bath and was originally built in 1734 to commemorate the visit of William IV, Prince of Orange, to the city.
New information has been added to its list entry on the National Heritage List for England to mark its connection with the Second World War.
Following the end of the Second World War, the garden around the obelisk on Orange Grove was redesigned to honour Bath’s twinning with the Dutch city of Alkmaar, and named the Alkmaar Garden.
The two cities had become ‘adopted sisters’ in March 1945, with the approval of the exiled Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
The ‘Alkmaar Adoption Appeal’ by the people of Bath saw 45,000 articles of clothing shipped to Alkmaar prior to its liberation from Nazi occupation.
It was a highly unusual fundraising effort at this time and was inspired by an Alkmaar evacuee, Elias Prins, who settled in Bath following his escape to Britain in 1940.
Days after Alkmaar was liberated, Victory in Europe (VE) Day was declared a national holiday in Britain.
It marked the end of nearly six years of war and the hardships and sacrifices it had brought. Millions of people marked the victory as communities came together in street parties, parades and thanksgiving services.
The bond of friendship between the two cities was reaffirmed when in 1946 Alkmaar gave 5,000 tulip bulbs to be planted in the Alkmaar Garden. The cities became formally twinned later in the 20th century and in 2017 Alkmaar gave Bath a new gift of 5,000 tulip bulbs.
Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “We owe the Second World War generation an enormous debt of gratitude.
“I am delighted that, as we prepare to mark 75 years since the end of the war in Europe on 8th May, we are protecting these historic sites in this way.”
