Memories of the Great War in Kortrijk by stad Kortrijk

Memories of the

Great War in Kortrijk

Map of Kortrijk during the German occupation in 1917. The red areas show the occupied buildings and locations.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Welcome to kortrijk 100 years ago Kortrijk was an occupied city. The Germans exploited the inhabitants. Allied bombs sowed fear and destruction. Thousands of Kortrijk locals lived in terror. All those who could tell us about it have now passed away. Therefore, we are trying to keep the memories alive. Kortrijk was the first major city behind the front line and this made it extremely important to the Germans. It is no wonder that there are a great many places in our city that conjure up memories of the First World War. For example, the station was used to transport prisoners of war to Germany, to serve as forced labour. Hotel Damier on Grote Markt, Damberd tavern as it was called at the time, was the Germans’ favourite bar.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

The ‘Adjudantur’ in City Hall, the headquarters of the German occupying force. In the centre of the photograph is Oberstleutnant Günther, Etappenkommandant of the Etappenkommandantur Kortrijk from 6 September 1915 up to and including 4 August 1916. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

CITY HALL On 17 October 1914, a German scout stumbled upon Grote Markt. On foot, alone, and clearly tipsy, he was welcomed by the Kortrijk locals with a serious beating. A couple of hours later the resistance was considerably less bold, because the German army had entered Kortrijk en masse. They immediately occupied City Hall and the station, forcing the workers to go home. The bridges were guarded and nobody was allowed to cross. Understandably, the inhabitants were petrified. What’s more, the mayor issued them with clear guidelines to stay calm, so they would be spared the brutalities that had taken place in the cities occupied before them. To maintain order in the city four hostages were constantly held in City Hall. (In the first instance these were the city aldermen). The hostages were changed every twelve hours. Later on in the war hostages were only held during the night and this procedure was finally abandoned in July 1915.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

The arrival of Kaiser Wilhelm II on Grote Markt (Au Salon in the background). Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

GROTE MARKT If you stand at the steps of the former city hall, you can see the pub Bar des Amis on the left, on the corner with O.-L.-Vrouwestraat. The pub has been there since 1898 and during the war was called Café au Salon. Later on it became Het Salongske. One of the most significant events in the city during WWI was perhaps the death of the 82-year-old mayor Auguste Reynaert. Much loved and mayor of the city for over thirty years, his funeral mobilised the entire city. The impressive funeral procession traversed the Grote Markt.

Funeral of Mayor Reynaert, 27-07-1915 Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Cinema Royal and Offiziersheim

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

GROTE MARKT Cinéma Royal opened its doors in 1913 on Grote Markt and soon became the main cinema in the city. Entertainment was also the primary function of the building during WWI, but with a German accent. Above the door was a sign: Deutsche Soldaten Lichtspiele. Predominantly French films were shown at the time. They were extremely dated because hardly any new films were produced because of the war. On Saturday the screenings were reserved for German military personnel. Kortrijk locals had their turn on Sunday. During WWI, the cinema also served for a time as part of the headquarters of the German police force. The large hall was even used temporarily as a prison. The cinema closed its doors for good in 1979. Today the building is home to Brasserie Royale.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

The 4th building on the left. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

GROTE MARKT The Damberd (now Hotel Damier) was the German soldier’s favourite pub because this was the only place where they considered the beer a match for German beer. This may have been why only officers were billeted here. When they retreated in October 1918, the Germans hid over 1,800 kg of explosives in City Hall, the post office, the Belfry, the station and in the Damberd. The intention was to explode these time bombs on 18 November. Fortunately the disaster could be averted and the bombs were made safe three days earlier.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

WATERPOORT This building has served continuously as a bank since 1879. The Bank of Kortrijk was originally located here, also during WWI. Since the National Bank of Belgium could no longer issue any new money during the war, cities and municipalities printed their own war money. There were four types of currency in circulation at the time: old Belgian banknotes, new Belgian banknotes that the Generale Bank printed on the order of the Germans, German marks, and lastly local emergency currency. Kortrijk traders accepted this emergency currency reluctantly out of fear that it would lose its value after the war. • FACT: There was an air-raid shelter underneath the Bank of Kortrijk. You can see it clearly on the photograph. Today, all traces of it have been erased.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

CASINOPLEIN Het gebouw waar nu Boekenhuis Theoria huist was originally a festivities and concert hall. It subsequently housed L’institut SaintLouis, the last school in Kortrijk where lessons were taught mainly in French. During the First World War, German soldiers were billeted there. By mid-1915 the building was so full that the brothers were obliged to give their lessons elsewhere. They moved to the congregation chapel on today’s Rooseveltplein. As the battle claimed more victims the building was also used as a hospital and pharmacy for the Germans. In 1916 it served as the field or military post. Letters from and addressed to soldiers in the field were collected and distributed here.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

CONSERVATORIUMPLEIN This is where the state prison was located. It was hit during the bombardment in 1944 and was closed in 1946.

Conservatoriumplein is the beating heart of music in Kortrijk. In addition to the Stedelijk Conservatorium (City Conservatory) you will also find Muziekcentrum Track with concert organiser Wilde Westen and brand new culture café Pand.A there. Ook in oorlogstijd was Kortrijk de kweekvijver voor bekende muzikanten. André Devaere was born in Kortrijk on 28 August 1890. His father Octaaf was an organist in St. Martin’s Church and taught him to play the piano at an early age. His musical talent was picked up in Brussels where he went to study at the Conservatory. From then on he obtained diplomas, awards and critical acclaim. He gave concerts in Brussels, Ostend, Tourcoing, Düsseldorf and of course, in Kortrijk. In between he composed fugues, sonatas and songs. In August 1914, André Devaere was conscripted into the army. Three months later, fate struck. He was fatally hit in the lungs near Nieuwpoort. He was transferred to a hospital in Calais, where he died of his injuries in the early hours of 14 November, barely 24 years old.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

STATION During the war, part of the Parkhotel was known as Hotel Au Pavillon Français. It was the ideal base for visitors that arrived in Kortrijk by train. As the Germans advanced ever closer, they seized control of the rail infrastructure wherever they went. The train was to play a vital role throughout the war. Every week the Belgian railways transported thousands of soldiers between Germany and the front. It is no wonder that the allies recruited first and foremost from the railway personnel for their intelligence services. The Germans soon realised this and a cat and mouse game ensued with high stakes.

“The Germans, they knew there were many Belgian spies, used every trick to deceive them, such as: the soldiers were informed that urgent help was needed at the front, because there was a fear that the Belgians and the English would break through. I saw that the same trains and soldiers usually returned through Kortrijk during the day a few hours later to rest in a different place. That was a false troop movement to deceive the spies”. (memoires of Evarist de Geyter)

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

View of Stationsplein (1918) with ‘Hotel des Flandres’, currently Café Den Bras, on the corner on the right. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

STATIONSPLEIN Hotel des Flandres was located on the corner of Burgemeester Reynaertstraat and Stationsplein. Today you will find the popular Café Den Bras there. During the war there was a Weinstube (wine bar) in the station. Out of fear of espionage this drinking establishment was only accessible to Germans who were often great wine lovers. Many private wine cellars and stocks had been seized by the Germans. To avoid this people sometimes had their bottles bricked up or buried them in the garden. Not even the communion wine was spared. Priests had to make a single bottle last a whole year. As of 1917, the station was the regular target of air attacks. So an air-raid shelter was constructed on Stationsplein.

The air-raid shelter on Stationsplein was demolished in 1919. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

SCHOUWBURGPLEIN The German army had three kinds of hospitals. In the Verbandplätze, five or so kilometres from the front, initial emergency aid was administered. In the Feldlazaretten or field hospitals a little further away, emergency operations were performed. Lastly, the Kriegslazaretten were located at a greater distance from the front and served as regular military hospitals. In Kortrijk there were eleven of these military hospitals. For example, the former Cloth Halls on Schouwburgplein, which was a museum and theatre before the war, was taken over and used as a hospital. The badly wounded were mainly taken here because the Hallen were close to the station. Ambulance officers and nurses cared them for the men. These were usually Protestants or Catholic religious individuals, as well as volunteers from the Red Cross.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

British prisoners of war Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

JOZEF VANDALEPLEIN Due to the proximity of the front and the presence of the rail network, Kortrijk was a transit point for (mainly English) prisoners of war. The school of the Van Dale brothers (now La Cantine) was one of the places prisoners of war were housed before they were put on the train to Germany. Kortrijk locals cheered the POWs and supplied them with food and clothing. Belgian POWs were bombarded with questions about the front, and the situation of sons and fathers. “One day, when some French POWs were brought in, we accompanied them to the marketplace. Various items were bought on the way to give to the POWs, one of us had bought 3 to 4 kg of apples, but sadly one of the apples was half rotten, and was given to a Senegalese. The Senegalese hurled the apple at a German officer and hit him on the back of his helmet; the apple disintegrated on impact. The officer was convinced it was a civilian that had pulled it off because one of us, must have been a footballer, had shouted ‘goal’! After that we were no longer allowed to accompany the POWs.” (memoires Evarist de Geyter)

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

HOUTMARKT During the war, Café ‘t Fortuintje was located on the corner of Houtmarkt and Lange-Brugstraat. Another building with a rich history. In 1641 the house was called De Fortuyne, hence ‘t Fortuintje. During the 19th and 20th centuries the property served as a tavern. The entire west side of Houtmarkt was already referred to as ‘Bordeelstraetken’ (brothel street) during the 15th century. This reputation endured throughout the centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century there were a dozen pubs, five of which were officially recognised as brothels. During the First World War a number of the taverns and so-called brothels were only accessible to Germans. Out of fear of contracting venereal diseases the ladies of pleasure were subjected to a weekly medical examination. In 1918, there were 108 prostitutes working in Kortrijk.

The site now occupied by the brand new, Sint-Vincentius assisted living accommodation, used to house the Sint Niklaas Hospital. On 9 November 1914, the German occupier seized the premises as a field hospital. In August 1917, it was temporarily vacated to be equipped once more as a field hospital in 1918. The Red Baron’s head wound was also treated here. He apparently fell in love with his nurse.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

HET PLEIN Het Plein was already a bona fide meeting place in 1914. The Onze-lieve-Vrouw ter Engelen Lyceum (’t Fort) already existed, as did the former brewery Le Fort. The acclaimed beer ‘Le Fort Tripel’ by brewery Vandeghinste is a tribute to this brewery and its founder. During WWI the school was transformed into a military hospital. A diary reveals that Mother Superior Theodore taught her parrot to swear at the German soldiers. After a while they were so fed up of it that they placed the parrot in a corner with a sheet over its cage.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

GROENINGESTRAAT The Vlaamse Huis was built in 1912-1913. It was a well-known meeting place for supporters of the Flemish movement before, during and after the war. One of them was the Kortrijk doctor Depla, who strived for an independent Flanders. During WWI, he tried to used his seat on the Council of Flanders to make concrete progress in his cause. To achieve this he did not shun cooperation with the Germans. At a meeting in February 1918, doctor Depla advocated in public for Flanders’ independence. There were around 200 people present. His loyalty to the Germans ended badly for him, because after the war he was the only Kortrijk activist to be sentenced to death. It was not carried out because he fled to the Netherlands.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

BROEL TOWERS

During the war the Broel Towers served as a storage place for the military arsenal. Consequently the city was sentenced to a fine of 10 million marks, which was finally waived. When the Germans were forced to retreat from Kortrijk on 16 October 1918, they set off no less than 750 kg of explosives under the Broelbrug. The Broel Towers were left badly damaged as a result.

The damaged Broel Towers. Labourers work on the construction of an emergency pedestrian bridge. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Diary While the German troops were still trying to defend Kortrijk in October 1918, nobody could predict that the armistice would become reality on 11 November 1918. Before they retreated all the strategic bridges across the Leie had to be destroyed to

keep the Allies at a distance. Marguerite Ghyoot, hiding in the basement of her house on Handboogstraat, experienced the events, trembling with fear. Her diary contains drawings of the Broel Towers, with, and without, the Broel Bridge.

Tuesday 14 October 1918. At 5.15 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. the city shakes to its very foundations. Glass panes shatter and ceilings collapse. Gas and electricity are cut off. It’s the Germans blowing up the bridges. The iron bridge at Beheerstraat needed a big charge. But the Broel Bridge stands firm. Wednesday 15 October 1918. A second charge of 750 kg of explosives goes off at 6.15 a.m. The Broel Bridge has now been raised to the ground and there is a deep crack in the Southern Broel Tower. Overleie is now completely isolated from the city.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

BROELKAAI

During the occupation, the Germans seized a great many buildings. The officers selected the largest and most lavishly furnished properties for their casinos or leisure establishments. This was also the case for Broelkaai 6. The owner, Pierre Thibault de Boesinghe, meticulously recorded all the plundering and damage to the interior. Furniture, carpets, curtains, paintings and so on, were ruined. In February 1916, the damage caused by the exuberant officers already amounted to 5,709 francs, a small fortune at the time. • FACT: Broelkaai 8 was the house where André Devaere was born (see No. 7)

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

BUDASTRAAT De Dingen, a pub that serves food and where you can have a chat, in Budastraat used to be Slosse bakery-patisserie and before that, brewery De Noble. This brings us to the theme of food, and that was a critical issue during the war. After the German invasion, Belgium was hit by a major food shortage. Our small territory only produced a limited amount of our food supply. People were largely dependent on imports, but they dried up during the war. Moreover, the Germans seized the meagre stocks we had for their troops. Starvation was inevitable. During the war, Budastraat 64 housed one of the four American stores. It sold relief supplies and food at affordable prices, thanks to the Commission for Relief in Belgium. The CRB was an international, predominantly American, organisation for food supplies in occupied Belgium and Northern France. Each Kortrijk family was given a card that could be used to purchase supplies from this store once a week.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

BUDASTRAAT - O.L.V.- HOSPITAAL The hospital, dating back to 1211 was naturally taken over by the Germans and transformed into a military hospital. To avoid the hospital being bombarded by the Allies, a large red cross was painted on the roof. (see photo) • EXTRA: Walk through the gate and across the inner courtyard. You can freely access the chapel on the left-hand side.

NOORDSTRAAT - Texture As of November 1914, all pigeon lovers had to hand in their pigeons to the Engels Syndicaat on Noordstraat, today the Texture Museum of Flax and the Leie. The pigeons were under strict military guard because the Germans feared they would be used for espionage. The owners had to contribute financially to the pigeons’ upkeep. They paid one franc every three to four months per pigeon. In 1915 pigeons were still occasionally seen flying from East to West. There were also pigeon lovers who refused to hand over their birds. So German soldiers were given the order to shoot down any pigeons they saw in free flight, with the exception of the German carrier pigeons that were painted yellow.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

German soldiers in Handboogstraat. The house in the distance with the open door was home to Guido Gezelle. The photo was taken by Marguerite Ghyoot, who lived in no. 7. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

NOORDBRUG/ HANDELSKAAI In October 1918, Allied troops approached Kortrijk from the North. In a final attempt to halt the advance on 15 October the Germans destroyed the Gerechtshofbrug. A day later the Allied troops had reached Overleie, but were unable to cross the Leie. Therefore, they decided to lay a pontoon bridge. A smokescreen was used to ensure that dinghies could reach the other side unimpeded. As the smoke disappeared the Germans saw what was going on. They launched artillery at the engineering corps, which literally and figuratively blew the pontoon bridge construction out of the water. The Allied troops would finally succeed in crossing the Leie at Marke, and between Kortrijk and Harelbeke. On 19 October 1918, a British division marched on to Grote Markt. The liberation was a fact.

HANDBOOGSTRAAT To make ends meet many women turned to prostitution. A large number of prostitutes during WWI were ‘occasional prostitutes’ whose spouses were at the front or prisoners of war. Sexual acts not only took place in the taverns but even outdoors. The banks of the Leie were a favourite spot for such escapades.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

GROTE MARKT

War memorial

On 28 October 1918, Lieutenant-General Watts, commanding officer of the 16th British army corps, oversaw his troops on Grote Markt. He was welcomed to the sound of three national anthems: the Brabançonne, the Marseillaise and God Save the Queen. The General was immediately awarded honorary Belgian citizenship. He donated the banner of the regiment that had liberated Kortrijk to the city. This was followed by a parade of the Allied troops, which was met with loud applause from the terrorised population.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

The war memorial that remembers Kortrijk locals who perished during WWI was erected at the rear of the Belfry. It was unveiled in the presence of Prince Leopold on 15 July 1923.

Tot op vandaag worden hier jaarlijks de gesneuvelden herdacht.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Sub-municipalities during WWI

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

MARKE Fly with the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen is the most famous and greatest German pilot of the First World War. He tops the list of fighter pilots with over 80 victories. He acquired the nickname ‘Red Baron’ because of his red plane and noble Prussian background. Aviation was still in its infancy in 1914 and the fighter pilots were true daredevils and pioneers. In his homeland von Richthofen was considered a genuine hero and was also respected by the Allied opposition. The castle of Baron de Bethune in Marke was occupied by the Germans from the beginning of WWI. In the summer of 1917, the infamous von Richthofen squadron was billeted at the airfields of Marke, Markebeke and Bissegem. The gentlemen pilots occasionally received important visitors. In August 1917, they received a visit from the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, the top military General Erich Ludendorff, and the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker. The visits were the result of their successful war activities near the Markebeke and Marke airfields. During this period he suffered a head wound in an air fight and was treated at Sint Niklaas Hospital. (see No. 12)

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

AALBEKE The former independent municipality of Aalbeke was home to 2,000 inhabitants before the war. This number fell dramatically during the war. Twenty Aalbeke soldiers lost their lives at the front. Dozens of people died from disease, starvation and injuries. A number of Aalbeke residents were also taken prisoner by the Germans. However, the municipality was hardest hit by forced labour. No fewer than 108 men were requisitioned by the occupier and transported to workplaces that were usually right behind the front lines in France. These craftsmen were called ZABs, because they worked for the Zivilarbeiter Bataillon. The work they performed for the Germans was demanding and dangerous. The families that remained behind often tried to send the men food and supplies, but the parcels did not usually arrive. The Aalbeke residents that did survive came back severely traumatised and emaciated. Seven of the ZABs that died are buried in the French military cemetery of Pierrepont in Meurthe-et-Moselle near Nancy, France.

BELLEGEM 18 March 1918. A major spring offensive is imminent and everyone is nervous. An advanced post of Belgian soldiers behind the Ijzer is mercilessly bombarded with German flamethrowers. The victims were left blackened and unrecognisable. The horrific war had lasted almost four years. Achiel Duprez (see photo) from Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Bellegem, born in 1893, the son of a baker, served at the front with the 3rd Light Brigade Regiment. They suffered terribly when the Germans stormed their trench: against their will, at the wrong time in the wrong place, like so many other victims of war. But just before the attack, Achiel jumped out of the trench. He was wounded, taken prisoner and transported to Germany. He only resurfaced after the war. He visited his own ‘final resting place’ in Oeren-Alveringem. Close to the place where the Ijzertoren was later erected, this brave Bellegem local narrowly escaped death.

BISSEGEM You should certainly not underestimate the strategic importance of Bissegem during World War I. With a munitions depot, an airport and the Kortrijk-Ypres railway line on its territory, the flax-producing municipality was not unimportant. As a result Bissegem was often bombarded by the Allies from 1916 onwards. In September and October 1917, Bissegem had a tough time and the airport was repeatedly attacked by British aircraft. Some of the bombs missed their target, causing considerable damage and resulting in a number of civilian victims.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

HEULE There was also an airfield in Heule (near Bozestraat). Von Richthofen may have indisputably been the greatest German pilot, but his buddy Werner Voss was the fourth most successful. In the summer of 1917, the Heule airfield served as his base, until he lost his life above Zonnebeke on 24 September 1917.

Heule was liberated by English soldiers.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

KOOIGEM Kooigem church was an important observation post and was blown up by the Germans during their retreat in 1918. In the final days before the liberation there was heavy fighting in and around Kooigem. The dead included fifteen English soldiers whose final resting place is in Kooigem. There is a memorial for the war victims both inside and outside the church.

ROLLEGEM Rollegem paid a heavy price during the war and suffered orders, requisitions and billeting. Twelve Rollegem locals died fighting as soldiers, six as deported labourers and one as a civilian victim. On 21 October 1918, there was overwhelming joy when the English liberators reached the village.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

MEMORIAL PLACES Various Kortrijk cemeteries also commemorate the First World War. At St. John’s Church cemetery, on Meensesteenweg, there is a large commemorative stone for victims of WWI & WWII, including five spies who were executed. There are also a number of British, South African and French soldiers buried there. Cemeteries in the sub-municipalities also provide the final resting place for a great many soldiers killed in the war. The Newfoundland Memorial on Gentsesteenweg in Kortrijk commemorates the Newfoundland Regiment, which played an important role during the final days of the liberation offensive.

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

MORE INFO Want to know more about WWI in Kortrijk? Visit the following site: · www.kortrijkbezet14-18.be Themed, guided walks/bicycle tours: · www.gidsenkringkortrijk.be · www.gidsenplus.be/aanbod · www.rentaguide.be All info about overnight accommodation, good addresses etc.: · www.toerismekortrijk.be

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

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Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

On 28 October 1918, Lieutenant-General Watts, commanding officer of the 19th British army corps, overseeing the troops on Grote Markt. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk

Kortrijk refugees on a British horse-drawn cart during the liberation on 18 October 1918. COLOPHON A publication by: Team Communication/Protocol, Tourism & City marketing and City of Kortrijk Heritage Design: Connie Janssens, Yves Debaes Photos: Cover photo: the Germans enter Grote Markt, October 1914 | City of Kortrijk Image Bank | City of Kortrijk Heritage | Albums Ghyoot | Ann Ganseman Consulted works: Van Hoonacker Egied, Kortrijk 14-18, Een stad tijdens de eerste wereldoorlog. (Kortrijk, 1994) | Despriet, Ph., 2000 jaar Kortrijk. (Kortrijk,1990) | Van Hoonacker Egied, Het herbergleven in Kortrijk (Kortrijk, 2002) | Maddens Niklaas, De Geschiedenis van Kortrijk in het kort. (Kortrijk, 2005) | Lachaert Pieter-Jan & Van Der Fraenen Jan, Spioneren voor het vaderland: de memoires van Evarist De Geyter. (Kortrijk,2011) | Roelstraete Johan en redactie. Heule 900; Heule 1111-2011. (Heule, 2011) | Vancoillie Jan, Bissegem 1914-1918, tussen Flugplatz en Munitionslager (Wevelgem, 2016) | www.andredevaere.net With thanks to: www.kortrijkbezet14-18.be | Heemkundige Kring (local history society) Bissegem Publication: 2020 Responsible editor: Ruth Vandenberghe, Grote Markt 54, 8500 Kortrijk Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk