Susteren seemed liberated

It was September 1944. In just a few days, the Americans advanced from Maastricht to Sittard. The people of Susteren could hear the fighting taking place in a forest between Nieuwstadt and Susteren. For days, residents watched columns of German and Belgian troops pass through the town on their way toward the German border. At one point, all German forces had left Susteren, and the town appeared to be “liberated.” Yet it did not feel like liberation. Where were the Americans?

Liberation was still far away

The Americans did not advance beyond the area of three major streams. They established a front line along the Vloedgraaf, near Susteren. Because the Americans failed to arrive and the borders with Germany remained closed, German troops returned to Susteren. They built an even stronger defensive position than before and prepared for battle with the Americans. As a result, the inhabitants of Susteren left their town in early November and spread northward across Limburg.

The front began to move again

In mid-January 1945, the moment finally arrived. The Allied front began to move again. Susteren was initially attacked from the west, but after heavy bombardment, British tanks entered the town late in the afternoon.

The price Susteren paid

When the damage was assessed, a large part of Susteren was found to be heavily destroyed or damaged. Fortunately, the centuries-old Amelberg Basilica (with walls up to one and a half metres thick) remained relatively well preserved. As a result, the church could be brought back into use shortly after the war. The seven-hundred-year-old sacristy next to the church, however, was completely destroyed. Despite all the damage and destruction, some parts of Susteren were still habitable. Gradually, the residents of Susteren began to return home.