War Memorial Wezemaal

On August 19, 1914, the first Germans appeared in the village. They set fire to 46 houses. Two civilians, including a parish priest who had hidden in the bushes for fear, were murdered.
When the Belgian army attacked the right flank of the German army from the Fortress of Antwerp on 25 and 26 August, the German soldiers left Wezemaal for a while. On Thursday, August 27, the frustrated Germans reappeared in the village and over 300 men, women and children drove together in St. Martin's Church. By evening the church was already full and citizens from the surrounding villages of Gelrode, Rotselaar and Nieuwrode were still brought in. More than 700 civilians were detained for two days and two nights in dire circumstances. At around 4:30 am on Saturday, August 29, they were placed in rows of four, between a hedge of scornful and brutally beating German soldiers. The group was transported on foot to Nossegem about 25 kilometers away. There they were put on a train to Germany. Thirteen of 328 civilians deported from Wezemaal would not survive imprisonment in the camp in Munster.
The tombstone was executed by stone hairdresser E. Renier-Milis from Aarschot. This workshop produced several war memorials in the region.

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Source

• Text: Jan Rymenams
• Photos: Jan Rymenams