Twelve Years On, 298 Trees Still Grow For The Souls Of MH17

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On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 departed Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport bound for Kuala Lumpur; it never arrived.

All 298 people on board were killed — among them 43 Malaysians, including the 15 crew and two infants.

Twelve years later, a ribbon of 298 trees grows at Park Vijfhuizen, just minutes from the same airport from which the flight departed.

Each tree represents one person.

Each was chosen for its own leaf texture, shape, and colour — a deliberate design choice to reflect the individuality of every life lost.

The memorial was officially opened on 17 July 2017 by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, in the presence of 2,000 surviving relatives and friends.

It is not a memorial built from stone; it is one that grows.

The Seeds Came From the Crash Fields, They Bloom Every Summer

Tied to the wooden posts throughout the grounds are laminated photographs — a flight attendant in uniform, a young woman holding a teddy bear, a motorcyclist mid-smile, a father cradling an infant.

Weathered by seasons, some faded, some fraying at the edges.

Each one was placed by someone who came to say: “You were here. You were real. You were loved.“

Among the trees, sunflowers bloom; the seeds were germinated from fields in eastern Ukraine — the same fields where the aircraft’s journey ended.

Each year, the seeds are collected, passed on, and replanted.

In the nearby town of Hilversum — one of the hardest hit, with fifteen residents among the dead — sunflowers colour the streets every summer.

Grief, replanted; blooming on schedule.

The Grief That Doesn’t Leave — It Just Learns to Live

The memorial is maintained by Stichting Vliegramp MH17, a non-profit foundation run by relatives of the victims, supported by volunteers and donations.

It sits close enough to Schiphol that aircraft on approach can see the ribbon of trees taking shape below.

Planes still fly, the trees still grow, and the names are still there.

For families of the Malaysian victims, the day was spent holding private, intimate gatherings and religious prayers.

Media portals highlighted these families, showcasing their ongoing resilience, such as lawyer Diyana Yazeera—who lost her mother on the flight—sharing her journey of rebuilding her life

We remember. We honour. Always and forever.

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Twelve Years On, 298 Trees Still Grow For The Souls Of MH17
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