5th edition ’t Zandcafé

Zandcafé: The Battle for ‘t Zand | Friday, October 30, 2026

’t Zandcafé is a neighbourhood gathering where we share stories and information about ’t Zand to bring people closer to the neighbourhood and to each other. This fifth edition is about the liberation of our city and what happened here in ’t Zand during the Second World War.

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In October 1944, ’s-Hertogenbosch was liberated by the British 53rd Welsh Division after six days of heavy fighting. In oktober 1944 werd ’s-Hertogenbosch na zes dagen zware strijd bevrijd door de Britse 53e Welshe Divisie. The battle began on 22 October and moved from the eastern side of the city towards the centre and the railway station. Bridges were blown up, thousands of shells fell on the city and many residents spent days in bombshelters. By 27 October, ’s-Hertogenbosch was considered liberated.

’t Zand found itself right in the middle of the fighting. It was only after 2 failed attempts that the British troops were able to enter ‘t Zand, where a heavy battle was fought. On the evening of 26 October the Brits were finally able to reach the railway station, where the Germans launched a counterattack the next day. The picture above s[1] hows that residents of ‘t Zand were stuck in the middle of the battle. In the picture, a family by Willemsplein tries to escape the violence.

For this evening, we will be guests at a very special place: The Bethel Church on Emmaplein. The church was built in 1908 on Grobbendonckstraat, in what was then still the young neighbourhood ‘t Zand. During the liberation in October 1944, the street was almost completely destroyed, while the Bethel Church itself remained largely undamaged. After the war, the street plan changed and Grobbendonckstraat disappeared from the neighbourhood. The church remained and can now be found, somewhat hidden away, on Emmaplein.

During ’t Zandcafé: The Battle for ’t Zand, we look at what those days in October 1944 meant for our own neighbourhood. René Dupuis will use historical photographs to take us through the events: Where was the fighting, what survived and what disappeared from the streets of ’t Zand for good?

’t Zandcafé is organised by Buurtvereniging Zandbewoners and is open to anyone who would like to know more about the neighbourhood and its history.

Please note! Space is limited. Want to attend? Sign up quickly via the website!

You can sign up until sunday October 25th

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Important information:
You can register multiple people at once using the registration form.

During the gathering, pictures and videos will be taken for a recap and the promotion of future activities. If you don’t want to be photographed or filmed, you can let someone from the organisation know at arrival. Then we will keep this in mind.

Coffee and tea will be served on arrival and during the break.

Please note: there is one toilet in the church, and unfortunately it is not wheelchair accessible.

If you have any questions or would like to add something to your sign up, you can always email, call, text, or WhatsApp us. If you have not received an email after signing up, even in your spam folder, please contact us.