The cross in 'Niemandsland' (No Man's Land)

The history:
The cross in “No Man's Land” in Asten commemorates the devastating battle that raged here on the edge of the Staatsbos (Dennendijkse Bos) at the end of October 1944 between the occupying forces and the Allies.

When you leave the centre of Liessel, follow Zandstraat and then cross the E-3 on Zand and turn left onto Pijlstaartweg, you will pass a number of farms. During the Second World War, the families of Helmus Berkers, Cornelis Timmermans, v.d. Wallen, Harrie Nijssen, Frans Hoeben and Toon Klaus lived here. In the autumn of 1944, this area was no man's land. After Asten was liberated by the Allies in September 1944, the occupying forces retreated behind the Peel canals. However, German patrols still penetrated deep into Asten on several occasions. During one of these reconnaissance missions, a number of Liessel residents were killed when an abandoned ammunition box exploded. Liessel was also regularly fired upon. This situation lasted from 23 September to 27 October 1944.

On 27 October 1944, the occupying forces launched a violent counterattack. However, the Nijssen and Hoeben families had not been warned, so they were unable to evacuate in time. When the violence of war erupted in full force at the farms, Hoeben took his family to their shelter. But the Nijssen cellar offered little protection, as it only had a wooden ceiling. From that Friday morning until the day before All Saints' Day, their house was hit by artillery several times. From the window, the family members saw how the farms of both Frans Hoeben and Cornelis Timmermans were ablaze. They could hear the cows of their neighbour across the street mooing as they perished in the sea of flames. The deafening noise of incoming projectiles, the rattling of machine guns and explosions that shook the entire house were extremely frightening. The eldest daughter, Nellie, was beside herself. Herman Engel, a man from Rotterdam who had been left behind in the labour camp, was even worse off. Desperate with fear, the family huddled together in the cellar. At around three o'clock, probably on 31 October, things took a turn for the worse. Towards evening, during a brief lull, Harrie Nijssen plucked up the courage to ask Frans Hoeben what their plans were. They said they wanted to stay in the shelter. “We have to get out of here,” said Harrie, 'because we don't have adequate shelter.'

Harrie Nijssen was a God-fearing man. At his wits' end and with no other solution available, he entrusted his fate to God. “Dear Lord,” he prayed silently, 'if we get out of this hell alive, I promise to erect a cross in Your name.' He obtained a horse from Toon Klaus (their own horse lay dead in the stable), harnessed it to the cart and loaded some household goods onto it. He then hurried his family out of the line of fire, away from the fallen soldiers who lay at the edge of the forest and scattered across the fields. German soldiers who had barricaded themselves in their house ordered the family to flee towards Meijel, because there were mines scattered everywhere. On the way, the family members had to take cover several times from unexploded ordnance. Eventually, they reached Meijel unharmed. However, they lost their eldest son, Jan, in the dark for some time. He had been captured and interrogated by the occupying forces. After this traumatic experience, the Nijssen family stayed with relatives in Meijel for several weeks. Shortly after the war, it was not worthwhile to restart the farm. In 1949, Harrie Nijssen and his family left for Canada. The cross was placed exactly where Harrie had indicated. It bore no inscription, which he apparently considered unnecessary. After all, it represented a covenant between him and God alone.

Unveiling:
The monument was inaugurated in 1949 by Father Van Doornmalen of the St. Willibrordus parish in Liessel.

Form and material:
A corpus has been placed on the cross in “No Man's Land” in Asten. The memorial cross is placed on a concrete pedestal.

Modification:
Originally, it stood at a three-way intersection on land owned by the Nijssen family. During land consolidation work in the 1970s, the road was extended slightly, requiring the cross to be moved. In October 2017, the right arm of the crucifix was stolen. The arm was found in a nearby cornfield and has been replaced.

Type: cross

Location: The monument is located on Pijlstaartweg (in the former hamlet of Hutten) in Asten.

Symbolism:
The cross is not only a symbol of the Christian faith, but also commemorates the sacrifice made by war victims for a life of freedom.