Memories of the Great War in Kortrijk WALKING ROUTE Welcome to Kortrijk
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Memories of the Great War in Kortrijk WALKING ROUTE 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 with this walking route. 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. The war walk is approximately 4.5 kilometres long and guides you past these and many more memorable buildings and locations. On the signs along the route (recognisable from the poppies) you will find photos and stories about the related places during wartime. The walk begins at the City Hall on Grote Markt. En route you can take a break in one of today’s bars and restaurants that have a story to tell from the past. Don’t forget to take the special edition of the ‘War newspaper’ with you. It is packed full of captivating stories and facts about the occupied city! • The Erfgoedapp (Heritage App) provides you with extra information at various sites (AR, sound clips and photos). You can download it on your smartphone from the Play Store or the App Store. (in Dutch) • On the concrete bases along the way you will find info about the ‘In the wake of the spy’ Map of Kortrijk during the German occupation in 1917. The red areas show the occupied buildings and locations. route. Find out more on www.kortrijkbezet14-18.be. (in Dutch) • This place is child friendly, here you can enjoy a drink while the little rascals have a ball outside. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 1 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. • EXTRA: During summer months, from 18/6 - 16/09, you can watch a short film (15 minutes) showing the very first flight of the German fighter plane, the Fokker, in the Council Chamber of the historic City Hall, between 1.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. 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 - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 2 GROTE MARKT AU SALON 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. The arrival of Kaiser Wilhelm II on Grote Markt (Au Salon in the background). Funeral of Mayor Reynaert, 27-07-1915 Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 3 GROTE MARKT CINÉMA ROYAL 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. Cinema Royal and Offiziersheim Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 4 GROTE MARKT DAMBERD The Damberd 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. The 4th building on the left. Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 5 KIOSK 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. In the summer of 1917, the infamous von Richthofen squadron was billeted at the airfields of Marke, Markebeke and Bissegem. During this period he suffered a head wound in an air fight and was treated at Sint Niklaas Hospital. • PLEASE NOTE! Can only be visited during July and August. Afterwards the Fokker 3 moves from this mini exhibition to the Tourism Office in Béguinage Park. • TIP: On 1 September 2018, the author and historian Jan Vancoillie is organising a bus trip called ‘In the footsteps of the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, through West Flanders’. More info: https://vcjan.wordpress.com Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 6 WATERPOORT NATIONALE BANK 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 - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 7 CASINOPLEIN Boekenhuis Theoria Well over a year ago, Theoria moved from O.-L.-Vrouwestraat to Casinoplein. However, the property has had many different uses in its long history. It was originally a festivities and concert hall. It subsequently housed L’institut Saint-Louis, 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. • EXTRA: On Thursday 18 October 2018 at 8.00 p.m. you can enjoy a lecture here: ‘The Final Offensive’, by history specialist Kevin Breyne. For more info see www.theoria.be Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route Memories of the GREAT WAR in Kortrijk - walking route 8 CONSERVATORIUMPLEIN Pand.A This is where the state prison was located. It was hit during the bombardment in 1944 and was closed in 1946.