Lichtjesroute

The Lichtjesroute (Route of Lights) is an event that is held every autumn in Eindhoven, starting with the liberation parade on 18 september. It is a 'consequence' of the liberation of Eindhoven during World War II, which took place on 18 September 1944. The goal of the Lichtjesroute is to remember the liberation, by expressing commemoration and liberty but also to maintain the illusion of 'fairytales in light'.

Origin

Already during the first commemoration of the liberation of Eindhoven, a "Feestverlichtingscomité" (Committee of Party Lighting) was formed. The Gemeentelijk Energiebedrijf (Municipal Energy company), Philips, the Federatie van Buurtverenigingen (Federation of Neighbourhood Associations), Eindhovensche Installateursvereniging (Eindhoven Installer Association) and the Vereniging voor Vreemdelingenverkeer (Association for Foreign Traffic, the Dutch tourist board) were members. The idea of this committee was to give the celebrations some extra shine. The inhabitants of Eindhoven were asked to help out the project by making their houses shine in any way possible for one day. Because many things were still in short supply so soon after the war, this was mostly restricted to candles at the windows.

From 1947 the approach became more professional because the Stichting Bevrijdingsherdenking (Foundation for Liberation Commemmoration) took over coordination of all liberation activities, including the original day of lights which had grown into a real 'route of lights'. In several places throughout the city, dubbed Brandpunten (Focal Points or Fire Points), celebration lighting illuminated the area on four days between 20:00 and 24:00 each day. The following years, the amount of Brandpunten grew steadily. And in 1969, 25 years after the liberation, the route had grown to a length of no less than 40 km. Unfortunately this would be the last Lichtjesroute-year for a good while.

In 1984 a number of enthusiasts decided it was time to give the Lichtjesroute a new life. Through a mailing, 1000 corporations were asked for financial support, and in the local media volunteers were called up to help make the new Lichtjesroute a reality.

The route today

The Lichtjesroute, as it was given shape in 1984, consists of a route through the centre of Eindhoven, and through the suburbs of Stratum, Strijp and Woensel. Because the route is about 25 km long and is especially popular with smaller children, it is usually travelled by car, but measures for cyclists who want to follow the route have also been taken. The route is indicated by reflecting 'pointer' signs which show an arrow and a red picture of a light bulb. On some signs the text 'fietsroute' (cycle route) is also added, to indicate that cyclists should follow an alternative route there.

Along the route, various frames with light ornaments have been mounted onto lamp posts. The ornaments depict various objects and animals, and also some World War II-themed imagery. Usually, several kinds of ornaments are put in the same area when they share a common theme - all animals are located together, for example. The placement of the ornaments changes each year, but in some places the same ornaments are put back each year. For example, the Halvemaanstraat (Half-moon street) is always decorated with half-moon shapes, and the area of Vaartbroek always has ornaments of astrological signs, because the streets in that area are likewise named after characters from Greek and Roman mythology. In the Witte Dorp (White Village), there are no ornaments, but red, white and blue lamps are placed on the bay windows, shining onto the white houses.

At some points along the route there are special resting places, where people can stop for a snack or walk around; one such area is the Hendrik de Keyzerplein. These points are usually the busiest on the route, and as a result traffic jams are notorious there. Until recently the Gelderlandplein (a small square in a residential area) was also such a point, where the cars also had to drive around the square once before continuing. This has been abandoned in the last few years, because the traffic caused serious problems not only for the flow of the route but to the local residents as well.

Modernising

In 2006, the foundation started replacing the incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, and an initial batch of a thousand LED-bulbs was installed. Over time, the incandescent lights will be taken out of commission, but for now the investment in new lights is a rather expensive one. Fluorescent lamps are not a viable solution because of their relatively high weight and because they are not suitable for outside lighting.

External links

* [http://www.lichtjesroute.nl De Lichtjesroute]