Memorial Stone Anna Persy Aarschot

The facts
On the corner of Theo De Beckerstraat and Jozef Tielemansstraat is one of those beautiful reconstruction houses in the city. In the cartouche of weathered white French stone, at the top of the facade, we can barely read the following words: "TO MY WIFE ANNA PERSY 19 HARVEST 1914".
On the evening of August 19, 1914, panic broke out among the German soldiers in the newly occupied town of Aarschot. Fearing francs tireurs, they are fired at random. During a Feuerpause, rhythm master Karge claims to be able to locate the culprit of the signal shot in the furniture store of Achiel Weygaerts. After all, Karge would have "seen light smoke and dust clouds rise from the roof." Despite the refusal of his superiors, Karge and several soldiers enter the house. With the help of the furniture maker's tin of turpentine, it doesn't take long before the house is ablaze. Achiel fled to the attic a few moments earlier with wife Anna and the five-year-old daughter Mathilde. Alarmed too late by the smoke and the flames, there is no way out to the ground floor. Achiel decides to drop little Mathilde through the window and jump after it. Hereby he breaks his ankle. Anna, however, is caught in the smoke. She loses consciousness and can no longer escape the conflagration. The next morning Achiel is brought to the guesthouse by neighbors. Other citymates safely take daughter Mathilde on the run. During his stay in the guesthouse, Achiel is shunned by the civilians and a woman reproaches him: "You are to blame for everything that happened in Aarschot, because you shot!".
Achiel will leave Aarschot as soon as possible. A few months later he is arrested by the Germans in Morkhoven and imprisoned for several months and questioned thoroughly. The occupier finds no evidence of his guilt. Testimonials show that Karge lied and was nowhere near where he would have seen the shots.

About the memorial stone
Achiel remarries and only returns to Aarschot in 1921. A beautiful building is being built on the site of the former house. This cartouche is placed on the facade as a reminder of his wife.

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Source

• Text: Jan Rymenams
• Photos: Jan Rymenams