Memorial Van Raemdonck Sint-Niklaas

There is a memorial plaque for the Van Raemdonck brothers at house number 84 in Nieuwstraat in Sint-Niklaas.
Above the plate hangs a pen drawing by Joe English with an image of this deep brotherly love.

"STEENSTRAETE

Frans and Edward Van Raemdonck from Temse
two war volunteers from the First World War.
They died in Steenstraete Ypres on March 26, 1917.

At the front, like many frontline soldiers, they were
discriminated against by their superiors because of their origins.
They demanded respect for the Flemish people and their language! Also
they worked for more self-government for Flanders!

Edward went against all orders, looking for
his missing brother Frans. They both ended up dead
found in each other's arms.

"United together in joy and distress
If one dies, the other dies"

Edward (°1895) and Frans Van Raemdonck (°1897) were Belgian brothers who died on March 26, 1917 in a night attack on the Stampkot in Steenstrate. They were both sergeants of the 6th Company of the 24th Line Regiment at the time. After the war, their remains were reburied in the crypt of the Yser Tower in Diksmuide.

Their heroic brotherly love became the symbol of the Flemish Movement. In his memory, the "Gebroeders Van Raemdonckkring" was founded in August 1953 in the "Vlaams Huis Steenstrate" in Sint-Niklaas.
Several monuments were inaugurated for them and a number of streets were also named after them.