Park de Doolhof

Park de Doolhof is a city park in Bergen op Zoom whose name means maze, and in recent years it has become known for a very different kind of labyrinth: the Dilemma Doolhof, an interactive art installation about the Second World War. It stands in the park and is open to all, free of charge, from early in the morning until sunset, with later hours in summer. The installation is a sobering and thought-provoking addition to a town that lies in a region deeply marked by the war.

The installation was designed by the creative studio Mothership as part of a project called Brabant Remembers, which aimed to bring the memory of the war to younger generations in new ways. It uses a minimalist design with rows of white crosses, an image that recalls the war cemeteries found across the south of the Netherlands, and it is laid out as a maze. At each junction, visitors must choose a path, and the choice leads them along a route that tells a story based on real accounts of local people during the war.

The idea of the dilemmas is to put visitors in the position of people who had to make difficult decisions, such as whether to hide someone, to keep silent or to flee, with no good answers and with high stakes. The installation does not preach but invites reflection, and the stories come from the personal testimonies of residents who lived through the occupation and liberation. Some visitors find it moving, and it is suitable for teenagers and adults, though young children may not understand it.

The context is important. North Brabant was liberated in the autumn of 1944, in the fighting known as the Battle of the Scheldt, when Allied troops fought to open the approaches to the port of Antwerp, and Bergen op Zoom was at the centre of the operations. The countryside and towns suffered damage, and many soldiers and civilians died. The war cemeteries in the area are a reminder of the cost.

The park itself is a pleasant green space with paths, trees and a pond, suitable for a walk or a picnic. Nearby sights include the city walls, the Hoofdtoren, the Kruittoren and the Sint-Gertrudisbasiliek. The installation suits visitors interested in history and art and takes around half an hour. Because it is outdoors, dress for the weather.