Val Dieu Abbey

Val Dieu Abbey, under Abbot Albéric Steiger, was a center of resistance during the Second World War.

It grew into a center for resistance against the German occupation and a safe haven for persecuted persons. Two monks, Father Hugo (Karel Jacobs, from Antwerp) and Father Stephanus (Piet Mühren, from Bergen op Zoom) were active in the resistance network 'Clarence'.

Father Hugo was known by his pseudonym "Charles. He had been a chaplain before joining the order of Cistercians at Val-Dieu.

This resistance network 'Clarence' also included doctor Jules Goffin from Voeren (B).

When their resistance activities were brought to light by infiltrators of the German Sicherheidsdienst (SD), they were arrested. Father Stephanus on March 18th, and Father Hugo on March 19th, 1943.

On October 9th, 1943, they were executed together with other members of the resistance at Fort Rijnauwen, near Utrecht. On the location where the execution site was, a monument was erected in the presence of the Countess de Liedekerke de Lichervelde and the wife of Nic Erkens, Bertha Erkens, on after the war. See photo 4.

The remains were cremated and then taken away again by the Germans. It turned out that they ended up in a cemetery in Erfurt (D) after the war. On June 26th, 1948, the urns arrived in Eijsden. At the border with Moelingen (B), Doctor Goffin's urn was handed over to his next of kin. The urn was wrapped with the Belgian flag that had flown at the Aubin-Neufchateau fort, where the docter had assisted the garrison. Also, both urns containing the mortal remains of Fathers Hugo and Father Stephen were transferred to the Order of Val-Dieu.

The urns containing the mortal remains of both fathers are interred at this site in the abbey.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Kees Meuzelaar (1), Gerry van Liempt (2, 3), Ed Lewandowski (4)
• Het Hannibalspiel, J. van Lieshout