Sack of Dinant explained

The Sacking of Dinant
Location:Dinant, Namur Province, Wallonia, Belgium
Date:21–28 August 1914
Partof:the Rape of Belgium in World War I
Native Name:Sac de Dinant
Native Name Lang:fr
Target:Belgian civilians
Type:War crime, massacre
Fatalities:674
Perpetrators: Imperial German Army
Motive:Presumed presence of francs-tireurs

The Sack of Dinant or Dinant massacre refers to the mass execution of civilians, looting and sacking of Dinant, Neffe and Bouvignes-sur-Meuse in Belgium, perpetrated by German troops during the Battle of Dinant against the French in World War I. Convinced that the civilian population was hiding francs-tireurs, the German General Staff issued orders to execute the population and set fire to their houses.

674 individuals died due to gunfire, claiming the lives of men, women, and children, as it spread throughout the town from August 23, 1914, and afterward. Dinant lost two-thirds of its domestic properties to the fire. After being stripped of weapons on August 6, the civilian population had been exhorted to abstain from taking up arms against the invaders.

Belgium vehemently protested, and the global community was outraged, referring to the massacre and other outrages perpetrated during the invasion and occupation of Belgium by Germany as the "Rape of Belgium". Denied for many years, it was only in 2001 that the German government issued an official apology to both Belgium and the victims' descendants.

Description

The locations

The topography of the region significantly influenced the outcome of the Dinant massacre. The town of Dinant, situated mostly on the right bank between the Meuse River and the "Montagne," a rocky outcrop with a citadel, stands four kilometers long from north to south. The bottleneck sections, featuring only a narrow road and towpath, measure a few meters in contrast to the widest part, which spans three hundred meters. Across from the collegiate church, the primary bridge connects the left-bank community of Saint-Médard with the station district. In 1914, a pedestrian bridge linked the Bouvignes-sur-Meuse (left bank) and Devant-Bouvignes (right bank) municipalities. To the north, you'll find the neighborhood and Leffe faubourg. To the south, the Rivages and Saint-Nicolas right-bank neighborhoods emerge from . On the left bank, opposite the Bayard rock, lies the Neffe village. The town has limited access roads.

Historical context

Start of World War I

Putting its Schlieffen plan into action, on August 4, 1914, the German army invaded Belgium a few days after sending an asking it to allow German troops to pass through its borders. King Albert and his government refused to allow neutrality and territorial integrity to be violated.

In August 1914, Dinant had a population of 7,890. On August 6, 1914, Burgomaster Arthur Defoin ordered the population of Dinant to deposit their weapons and ammunition at the town hall - the same measure had been taken in Bouvignes-sur-Meuse. The mayor explains:

In the morning of the same day, a company of thirty carabinieri-cyclists from the arrived in Dinant. In the afternoon, the first German reconnaissance patrol made a quick incursion into town. Two uhlans advance into rue Saint-Jacques, and the Garde Civique opens fire, but does not hit them. A hunter-cyclist discharges his rifle, wounding a German and his horse in the arm. He flees on foot and is quickly caught, while the second falls from his horse and is treated by Dr. Remy. In the evening, the vanguard of the French 5th Army, the, took up position to defend the bridges at Bouvignes-sur-Meuse and Dinant. On August 7, the carabinieri-cyclists were recalled to Namur. Skirmishes broke out between the French and Germans over the following days, and a hussar was killed on August 11. The Germans abandoned their scouting missions and used their air force to assess the troops present.

German defeat of August 15, 1914

See main article: Battle of Dinant. Two cavalry divisions, under the command of Lieutenant-General von Richtoffen, comprised the vanguard of the 3rd German Army. These divisions consisted of the Guards Cavalry Division and the 5th Division and were supported by 4-5 battalions of chasseurs à pied, along with two groups of artillery and machine guns. The infantry component of over 5,000 men was responsible for crossing the Meuse river between, Dinant, and Anseremme.At 6am on August 15, the Germans began bombing both banks of the Meuse. First of all, they destroyed the civil hospital, which nevertheless bore a huge red cross. The Château de Bouvignes, transformed into a field hospital for wounded French soldiers, suffered the same fate. The fighting raged on, with the German army taking the citadel overlooking the town and attempting to cross the Meuse. They were on the verge of succeeding when the French Deligny division, finally authorized to intervene, silenced the enemy artillery with its 75 mm guns and helped repel the assault.

The Germans left Dinant, three thousand of their men dead, wounded, prisoners or missing. When, at the top of the citadel, the people of Dinant saw the French flag replace the German colors that had flown there, they sang La Marseillaise. In the citadel, the French discover that wounded French soldiers have been brutally killed. A corporal of the 148th was found hanging by his belt from a shrub, his genitals cut off. Over the following week, the enemy troops organized themselves. General Lanrezac and his men moved up the, while von Hausen's troops closed in on the front between Namur and Givet.

The myth of the francs-tireurs

Since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the myth of "francs-tireurs" has been prominent among German soldiers and their leaders. Manuals on the art of warfare, such as published in 1902, even encouraged officers and troops to be harsh in their treatment of "francs-tireurs." This belief significantly influenced the perception and interpretation of events by Saxon troops during August 1914. When patrols did not return or the source of fire couldn't be determined, franc-tireurs were often blamed. Officers spread rumors, occasionally out of nothing but a desire to incite aggression and animosity among the troops.

Additionally, the Civic Guard's presence in the invasion's initial stages supports the Germans' view of it as an armed civilian militia. Founded during the Belgian Revolution of 1830, the Civic Guard consists of middle-class citizens whose mission is to protect the territory's integrity. On August 6, the community ordinance disarmed the people of Dinant, but not the Civic Guard, which remained mobilized until the morning of the 15th and was disarmed on the 18th.The crushing defeat on August 15, which left 3,000 soldiers wounded, and the playing of the Marseillaise after the town was liberated intensified the animosity of the occupiers towards the local people. "Eight days later, the enemy avenged themselves cruelly on the residents of Dinant."

German troops lived with the trauma caused by this defiance from August 21 onwards. Alcohol, which was pillaged from homes, was extensively consumed to maintain morale, leading to a heightened sense of disorder and chaos that prevailed throughout the subsequent week.

The city of Dinant, located at the bottom of a steep, narrow valley, posed difficulties in ascertaining the origin of gunfire and locating projectiles that ricocheted off of its rocky terrain. Furthermore, French troops situated on the elevated terrain of the left bank would fire whenever a firing angle presented itself. As a result of the disorderly fighting and smoke from fires, numerous German soldiers were unintentionally fired upon by their own allies. These circumstances bolstered the German soldiers' belief that they were being targeted by enemy franc-tireurs. Consequently, the soldiers, whose perception of reality had been distorted to the point of misinterpreting it, believed they had the right to use violence. This impulse, known as "war psychosis" by, resulted in their actions.

The unfolding of events

The day before: "Tomorrow, Dinant all burned and killed!"

On August 21, certain German officers enunciated their intentions unambiguously. A captain informed the parish priest of, "Tomorrow, Dinant will be burned and killed! - We have lost too many men!"

On the night of August 21 to 22, the civilian population of Dinant encountered their first skirmishes, as a German reconnaissance patrol, quickly joined by numerous boisterous soldiers, raided Rue Saint-Jacques. It was a diverse battalion comprising members of the 2nd Battalion of the No. 108 Rifle Regiment and collaborating with the 1st Company of the No. 12 Pioneer Battalion. The cruise descended upon the city from the elevated area of the right bank. It even made it as far as the Meuse. The German forces murdered seven civilians and deployed incendiary explosives to burn down roughly twenty houses, which resulted in the deaths of five people. For the Germans, it was a "reconnaissance in force" operation. characterized it as "the escapade of a group of drunken soldiers." According to the war diary of one of the battalions involved, the decision for the raid was made at the brigade level with the intention of taking Dinant. The goal was to "take Dinant [...], drive out the defenders, and destroy the town as much as possible." After the war, Soldier Rasch described how, upon reaching the bottom of Rue Saint-Jacques one night, they noticed a lit café and threw a hand grenade into it, leading to a fusillade. This action only worsened the panic felt as gunfire seemed to come from all directions, even from residential homes. Rasch's company suffered the loss of eight soldiers, and his captain was severely injured. In the end, this tragic event resulted in the deaths of 19 Germans and injuries to 117 others. However, two factors contributed to the increase in German casualties: the use of torches by German troops made them easy targets for French soldiers, and it is possible that, in a state of panic, German soldiers fired upon their fellow troops. This incident reinforced the idea of francs-tireurs as a myth.

The initial disturbances caused people to flee from the right bank for their safety. Nonetheless, they had to present a pass issued by the local authority to cross to the left bank. Due to the barricading of Dinant and Bouvignes bridges, some families escaped through tourist barges. About 2,500 individuals from Dinant managed to secure refuge behind French lines. However, at noon on the 22nd, the French prohibited such crossings as they would impede troop movements. The First Corps of the French 5th Army was replaced by the and the . A small group from the British Expeditionary Force was also in the area. The 51st Reserve Infantry Division was thus confronted with three German army corps on a front that extended over thirty kilometers. At Dinant, the 273rd Infantry Regiment faced the XIIth Army Corps (1st Saxon Corps) of the entire Saxon Army. As a French assault was not feasible, their strategic location allowed them to obstruct the German XII Corps' crossing of the Meuse. Accordingly, in mid-afternoon, the French detonated the Bouvignes-sur-Meuse bridge, while preserving the Dinant bridge. They entrenched themselves on the left bank and waited for the opposing force, while abandoning their efforts to maintain a presence on the right bank.

August 23, 1914: the Ransack of Dinant

On August 23, 1914, the XIIth Army Corps (1st Saxon Corps) entered the town on four separate routes. To the north, the 32nd Division stormed the sector between Houx and the Faubourg de Leffe. The 178th regiment of the 64th brigade advanced through the Fonds de Leffe. As they passed, the Germans killed all civilians. 13 men are shot at by 6 men of the 103rd Saxon Regiment, and 71 are murdered in the vicinity of the "paper mill". Paul Zschocke, a non-commissioned officer in the 103rd RI, explained that he had been ordered by the company commander to search for the "francs-tireurs" and "shoot anyone he found there". Houses were systematically searched, and civilians were either shot or taken to the Prémontrés abbey. At ten o'clock in the morning, the religious, unaware of the fate that was about to befall them, gathered together the 43 men present at the request of the German officers. They were all shot in Place de l'Abbaye. As for the monks, the Germans held them to ransom under the pretext of having fired on their troops: Major Fränzel, who spoke French, asked them to raise the sum of 60,000 Belgian francs, which was later reduced, after consultation with his superiors, to 15,000 Belgian francs.

That evening, the 108 civilians who had been hiding in the cellars of the large Leffe fabric factory decided to surrender. The director,, who was also vice-consul of the Argentine Republic, his relatives and some of his workers were immediately arrested. Women and children were sent to the Prémontrés convent; despite his protests to Lieutenant-Colonel Blegen,[1] Remy Himmer and 30 men were shot dead in the Place de l'Abbaye, still littered with the morning's corpses. In the evening, the fire was set at the Grande Manufacture. The massacre continued throughout the night in the Abbey district: houses were looted and then set on fire, and male civilians were shot. When the Germans left Leffe, only a dozen men were left alive. The 32nd Division built a boat bridge opposite the Pâtis de Leffe and crossed the Meuse.

Regiments no. 108, no. 182 of the 46th Brigade and the 12th and 48th artillery regiments came down the Rue Saint-Jacques. At 6:30 a.m., their vanguard reached the slaughterhouse, which was soon engulfed in flames. The Germans, finding fewer civilians in the dwellings, set fire to the whole district. The male civilians who had decided to stay were all executed, without exception. In the afternoon, a platoon from the 108th RI found around a hundred civilians taking refuge in the Nicaise brewery. The women and children were taken to the Leffe abbey; the men, numbering 30, were taken to rue des Tanneries, lined up along the and executed. Three of them managed to escape under the cover of falling darkness.

During the conflict, furniture looted from nearby houses was used by members of the 182nd RI to construct a barricade. Despite being found unarmed, a young man who was identified as a possible sniper was bound and held as a human shield. As their own troops were firing upon them, the group shot and killed their hostage before retreating.The German 100th Regiment descended from Montagne de la Croix and launched an attack on the Saint-Nicolas district. The area was mercilessly ravaged from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. A witness to these tragic events, Maurice Tschoffen, described the soldiers marching in two lines alongside the houses, with those on the right carefully monitoring those on the left, both with their fingers on the trigger, ready to open fire at any moment. In front of each doorway, groups formed and halted, firing bullets at the houses, with a particular focus on the windows. It was known that the soldiers threw numerous bombs into the cellars. Two men were fatally shot on their doorstep. Similar to what occurred on Rue Saint-Jacques, civilians were exploited as human shields on Place d'Armes, resulting in some of them being hit by French bullets fired from across the river. The German forces capitalized on the opportunity to cross the square and make their way to the Rivages area. They proceeded to set houses alight and take the civilians to the Bouille house. Afterward, they dispersed them amongst several outbuildings, the café, forge, and stables. As the fires spread, the Germans directed them towards the prison. Eventually, men and women were separated at the base of Croix Mountain. The women and children remained despite being asked to leave, to await news of the fate of their husbands, brothers, and sons. Some men were incarcerated while 137 others were arranged in four rows along Maurice Tschoffen's garden wall. Colonel Bernhard Kielmannsegg of the 100th RI issued the execution order, followed by two rounds of platoon gunfire and machine-gun fire shot at the corpses from the Frankinet garden's terrace. While around 30 men feigned death, 109 were killed. Most of the wounded individuals escaped from the pile of corpses during the night. In the subsequent days, five of them were apprehended and executed. Major von Loeben, in charge of one of the two execution teams - the other led by Lieutenant von Ehrenthal - testified to a German inquiry commission: "I presume that these were the men who had engaged in hostile activities against our troops".

To the south of the town, the German 101st Regiment arrived that afternoon via the Froidvau road and constructed a boat bridge upstream from Bayard Rock. To the south of the town, the German 101st Regiment arrived that afternoon via the Froidvau road and constructed a boat bridge upstream from Bayard Rock. Several civilians were taken hostages, including a group of Neffe residents forced to cross the river on boats. At around 5 p.m., the Germans encountered intense gunfire from the left bank, despite advancing 40 meters along the Meuse. On the basis of the claim that the "French were firing at them", the Germans executed 89 hostages against the wall of the Bourdon garden. The incident claimed the lives of 76, including 38 women and seven children, the youngest being three-week-old Madeleine Fivet. The 101st then crossed the Meuse to Neffe A group of 55 civilians had sought refuge in a small aqueduct underneath the railroad line. Karl Adolf von Zeschau instructed the attack with rifles and grenades, resulting in the deaths of 23 civilians and the injury of 12 others.

The Dinant bridge was blown up by the French around 6 p.m. on August 23 before they retreated along the Philippeville road. German brutality persisted in the ensuing days before ultimately diminishing. Those who emerged from hiding prematurely frequently paid with their lives. Civilians were compelled to inter the numerous bodies that adorned the pavement and plazas of Dinant and its surroundings.

Earlier at the prison, the Germans separated the women and children from the men. The men, aware of their fate, received absolution from a priest. Gunfire at the Tschoffen wall confused the prisoners and their jailers, leading some to believe the French were attempting to recapture the town. Ultimately, the execution did not occur, and the prisoners were taken to Bayard Rock. The women and children were then forced to journey on foot to and Anseremme. The 416 men were awaiting deportation to Germany under Captain Hammerstein's command. They were directed to Marche and then transferred to station. The men were divided into groups of 40 and transported in cattle cars to Kassel prison in Germany.

The prisoners' travel was made difficult by the brutality inflicted by German contingents and the local populations they came across. Some individuals were executed without trial after experiencing mental breakdowns. The imprisonment conditions were exceedingly harsh, resulting in the passing of some prisoners who were seriously injured during the Dinant trials and deported. Prison regulations prohibit family members from sharing the same cell. Additionally, four inmates were compelled to share 9 m² cells without even a straw mattress. During the first eight days, no excursions were permitted. Subsequently, the schedule was adjusted to allow just one outing per week, which was eventually increased to three. In his deposition, Maurice Tschoffen, the, reported that the prison governor informed him that the military authorities in Berlin were convinced that no shots were fired in Dinant. The source of this assertion is unknown. So, there was no justification for our arrest, but I am uncertain why we were ultimately released. During a subsequent conversation in Belgium, General von Longchamps shared his findings about the events in Dinant with me. He conveyed, "From my investigation, it appears that no civilians fired at Dinant; however, there might have been some French soldiers disguised as civilians who fired. Additionally, in combat training, individuals can sometimes exceed the limits of their training."

Thirty-three clergymen were apprehended at the regimental school in Dinant and subsequently imprisoned in Marche for one month.

Dinant in ruins

During the sack, 750 buildings were burnt down or demolished, with two-thirds of the buildings destroyed.[2]

The protagonists of the event

The German command

The Third German Army was under the command of Saxon Max von Hausen. This army was divided into three corps. The XII Corps (1st Saxon Corps), commanded by Karl Ludwig d'Elsa, was tasked with taking Dinant and crossing the Meuse at that location. The XII Corps was further divided into two divisions: the 32nd Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General, and the 23rd Infantry Division, led by Karl von Lindeman.[3]

Max von Hausen, a veteran of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, advised the civilian population to avoid taking up arms against German troops. Consequently, the watchword at all levels of command was to "treat civilians with the utmost rigor."

The German General Staff received the first concrete reports of snipers in the east as the 3rd Army concentrated. The civilian population, allegedly incited by a biased press, the clergy, and the government, is allegedly acting on prearranged instructions. In light of this, it is imperative that we respond to this situation with utmost seriousness and stringent measures, without any hesitation.[4]

The German belief in the "franc-tireurs myth" resulted in them taking the harshest possible action against the civilian population. During the Battle of Dinant, certain battalions and regiments were given orders to terrorize the civilian population. This instruction was issued as part of the battle against the French.This was the situation with Infantry Regiment No. 178, commanded by Colonel Kurt von Reyher, who was himself under the command of Brigade Commander General Major Morgenstern-Döring. The troops were instructed to use energetic means and act ruthlessly without any consideration towards the fanatical rebels. Major Kock of the 2nd Battalion was directed by Von Reyher to "purge the houses". Captain Wilke, who commanded the 6th and later the 9th company, initiated several operations to terrorize the civilian population, particularly in the Fonds de Leffe and at the abbey.

As per the 23rd Infantry Division's understanding, executions, looting, and burning in Les Rivages, St. Nicolas district, and Neffe, to the south of the city were mainly carried out by the 101st Saxon Grenadier Regiment, headed by Colonel Meister, and the 100th Infantry Regiment, headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Kilmannsegg, under Staff Warrant Officer Karl Adolf von Zeschau's coordination. Major Schlick, who commanded the 3rd and 4th companies of RI no. 101, demonstrated exceptional activity during these operations.

Following the sacking of Leffe, the 178th RI crossed the Meuse after the French troops withdrew and arrived in Bouvignes-sur-Meuse. There, it committed numerous violent acts that resulted in the death of 31 individuals. Delayed for one week, the German Third Army pursued its advance, leaving a country ravaged by looting, arson, and executions of civilians in its wake. The Germans faced two enemies - the French and the imagined francs-tireurs.

In February 1915, the first issue of the clandestine La Libre Belgique asserted, "There is something more robust than the Germans; it is the truth."

The victims

674 civilians died during the siege of Dinant, including 92 women, 18 over the age of 60, and 16 under the age of 15. Out of the 577 men, 76 were over the age of 60 and 22 were under the age of 15. The oldest victim was 88 years old, while 14 children were under the age of 5, with the youngest only 3 weeks old.

A list of the victims' names was quickly circulated through an obituary. The first edition, published in 1915 by Dom Norbert Nieuwland, contains 606 names. The military authority occupying the area demanded that the population provide copies of the obituary, under threat of severe punishment.

In 1922, Nieuwland and Schmitz recorded 674 victims (including 5 missing), and in 1928, Nieuwland and Tschoffen reported the same number of victims and missing persons. Finally, just before the centennial, Michel Coleau and Michel Kellner revised the obituary and identified a total of 674 victims and three unidentified individuals.

See the obituary
SurnameNameSexAge<15 years oldProfessionLocation
1AbsilJosephM46weaverPaper Mill
2AbsilLambertM59stone masonDevant-Bouvignes
3AdnetFerdinandM48car rentalTschoffen Wall
4AlardoIsidoreM20cultivatorBonair
5AlardoJosephM18cultivatorHerbuchenne (Alardo farm)
6AlardoMartinM53farmerBonair
7AlardoMartin DésiréM17cultivatorBonair
8AltenhovenMarieF14yesRue du faubourg Saint-Nicolas
9AnciauxEuphrosineF85pensionerPlace d'Armes and prison
10AnciauxRobertM32police officerAl' Bau
11AndreMarieF88without professionBourdon Wall
12AndrianneVictorM59janitorAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
13AngotEmileM48threaderTschoffen Wall
14AnsotteHectorM18studentAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
15Ares (Aeres)ArmandM33carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
16Ares (Aeres)EmileM66pig farmerTschoffen Wall
17BaclinJulesM32marble masonPaper Mill
18BaillyFélixM41employeePlace d'Armes and prison
19BalleuxFélixM16 monthsyesBourdon Wall
20BanseGustaveM30weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
21Bara(s)AugusteM15studentBourdon Wall
22BarreGeorgesM55employeeCollège communal
23BarthelemyGustaveM30factory workerLaurent Wall
24BarthelemyJean-BaptisteM23weaverLaurent Wall
25BarzinLéopoldM71honorary deputy court clerkRue Saint-Pierre
26BastinHermanM33postal workerTschoffen Wall
27BatteuxMarieF42servantRue Grande
28BauduinEdouardM42employeeTschoffen Wall
29BaujotAlfredM46boatmanBourdon Wall
30BaujotMariaF5yesBourdon Wall
31BaujotMartheF13yesschoolerBourdon Wall
32BaussartDieudonnéeF78housewifeRue des Fossés
33BertulotErnestM48marble masonPré Capelle
34BetempsAugusteM27gardenerBourdon Wall
35BetempsMauriceM19 monthsyesBourdon Wall
36BietlotCharlesM76without professionRue Saint-Pierre
37BietlotJeanM40brewery worker (warehouseman)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
38BinameAlphonseM37cement manufacturerTschoffen Wall
39BlanchardHenriM48weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
40BonCélestinM74domesticAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
41Bony (Frère Herman-Joseph)Jean-AntoineM60religious (convers)Leffe (aqueduct)
42BouchatThéophileM68traderTienne d'Orsy
43BoucheGustaveM53cobblerPaper Mill
44BouilleAmandM36blacksmithTschoffen Wall
45BourdonAlexandreM74traderBourdon Wall
46BourdonEdmondM62deputy court clerkBourdon Wall
47BourdonHenriM17studentBourdon Wall
48BourdonJeanne -HenrietteF33seamstressBourdon Wall
49BourdonJeanne-MarieF13yesschoolerBourdon Wall
50BourdonJosephM56cabaretierRue Sax
51BourdonLouisM39cultivatorNeffe (aqueduct)
52BourguetEugèneM30journalistTschoffen Wall
53BourguignonClotildeF68without professionBourdon Wall
54BourguignonEdmondM16 monthsyesNeffe (aqueduct)
55BourguignonJean-BaptisteM29truck driverNeffe (aqueduct)
56BovyAdèleF29housewifeRue Saint-Pierre
57BovyConstantM23automobile driverJardins du Casino
58BovyHéloïseF23factory workerRue Saint-Pierre
59BovyMarcelM4yesRue Saint-Pierre
60BradtJulienM33cobblerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
61BrihayeAlfredM25hotel garçonImpasse Saint-Roch
62BroutouxEmmanuelM54employee mortgage officeTschoffen Wall
63BulensAlfredM26threaderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
64BulensHenriM53threaderPaper Mill
65BulensLouisM51factory workerPaper Mill
66BultotAlexisM34cultivatorMalaise Farm
67BultotAlphonseM20employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
68BultotCamilleM14yesweaverNeffe (aqueduct)
69BultotEmileM39weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
70BultotJosephM29cultivatorMalaise Farm
71BultotJulesM31cultivatorMalaise Farm
72BultotLéonieF39housewifeNeffe (aqueduct)
73BultotNorbert-AdelinM35truck driverNeffe (aqueduct)
74BultotNorbert-AlfredM9yesschoolerNeffe (aqueduct)
75BurnayZoéF22housewifeBourdon Wall
76BurniauxErnestM36clothes cutterNeffe-Anseremme
77BurtonEuphrasieF75market gardenerBourdon Wall
78CalsonAlfredM61carpenterPaper Mill
79CapelleJoseph-JeanM62cultivatorPré Capelle
80CapelleJoseph-MartinM35postage factorPaper Mill
81CarriauxCharlesM36maneuverLeffe (convent)
82CartignyHenriM25factory worker (terrassier)Paper Mill
83CartignyHubertM53marble masonPré Capelle
84CartignyLéonM28factory workerPaper Mill
85CasaquyAugusteM49journalistAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
86CassartAlexisM17factory workerLaurent Wall
87CassartCamilleM?factory worker?
88CassartFrançoisM36factory workerPaper Mill
89CassartHyacintheM43factory workerLaurent Wall
90ChabotierJosephM38weaverTschoffen Wall
91ChabotierJulesM18weaverTschoffen Wall
92ChabotierLouisM16factory workerEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
93CharlierAnnaF15without professionNeffe (aqueduct)
94CharlierAugusteM56valet parkerRue des Basses Tanneries
95CharlierGeorgetteF9yesschoolerNeffe (aqueduct)
96CharlierHenriM40weaverLeffe (convent)
97CharlierJulesM35journalistImpasse Saint-Roch
98CharlierMauriceM16employee to the railwayNeffe (aqueduct)
99CharlierSaturninM40store garçonNeffe (aqueduct)
100CharlierThéoduleM48glassmakerTschoffen Wall
101CharlotLéonM25weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
102CletieLéopoldM32security guardBourdon Wall
103ColignonGeorgesM16weaverTschoffen Wall
104ColignonJosephM46weaverTschoffen Wall
105ColignonLambertM43dressmakerPaper Mill
105ColignonLouisM38weaverTschoffen Wall
107ColignonVictorM42weaverRue du faubourg Saint-Nicolas
108ColinAugusteM60masonRue Sax
109ColinHéloïseF75without professionRue Grande
110CollardEmileM75cobblerBourdon Wall
111CollardFlorentM39ceiling operatorTschoffen Wall
112CollardHenriM37ceiling operatorTschoffen Wall
113CollardJosephM77former railway workerBourdon Wall
114ColleCamilleM47traderTschoffen Wall
115ColleGeorgesM19studentTschoffen Wall
116ColleHenriM22house painterTschoffen Wall
117ColleLéonM16studentTschoffen Wall
118CollignonArthurM16weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
119CollignonCamilleM30weaverPaper Mill
120CollignonXavierM55weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
121CorbiauPaulM61renterTschoffen Wall
122CorbisierFrédéricM17gas-plant fitterRue Saint-Pierre
123CorbisierJosephM42gas-plant fitterRue Saint-Pierre
124CouillardArmandM34cabinetmakerTienne d'Orsy
125CouillardAugusteM71cabinetmakerRue Saint-Jacques
126CoupienneCamilleM32bakerRue Saint-Pierre
127CoupienneEmileM54cobblerLaurent Wall
128CoupienneHenriM38rattacheurTschoffen Wall
129CoupienneJoseph-CamilleM36weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
130CoupienneJosephM58cobblerRue Saint-Pierre
131CoupienneVictorM51brewery workerLeffe (convent)
132CroinLambertM46weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
133CulotEdouardM59traderTschoffen Wall
134CulotFlorentM24entrepreneurPré Capelle
135CulotGustaveM24factory workerBourdon Wall
136CulotHenriM48storekeeperBourdon Wall
137DacheletCamilleM20domesticPré Capelle
138DacheletZéphyrinM17domesticPré Capelle
139DandoyGustaveM44brewery workerTschoffen Wall
140DarvilleArthurM26employeeEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
141DastyDésiréM74renterNeffe-Anseremme
142DauphinCamilleM18weaverNeffe-Dinant
143DauphinDésiréM35storekeeperNeffe-Anseremme
144DauphinJoséphineF20weaverNeffe-Dinant
145DauphinLéopoldM49weaverNeffe-Dinant
170De MuyterConstantinM60storekeeperRue Saint-Pierre
146DefaysMarieF54housewifeRue Saint-Pierre
147DehezSylvainM43agent d'assurancesPaper Mill
148DehuVictorienM48journalistPaper Mill
149DelaeyArthurM20weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
150DelaeyEmileM24weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
151DelaeyCamille-AlexisM23rattacheurAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
152DelaeyCamille-AntoineM48weaverPaper Mill
153DelaeyGeorgesM16rattacheurPaper Mill
154DelaeyPhilippeM20gas workerRue Saint-Pierre
155DelaireMarieF36housewifeRue Saint-Pierre
156DelcourtLouisM56maneuverHerbuchenne (?)
157DelieuxThérèseF38housewifeNeffe (aqueduct)
158DelimoyVictorineM81without professionNeffe-Anseremme
159DellotCharlesM32journalistImpasse Saint-Roch
160DellotJulesM29journalistMontagne de la Croix
161DelogeAlphonseM58butcherAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
162DelogeEdmondM23butcherAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
163DelogeEugèneM15weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
164DelogeFerdinandM44construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
165DelvauxHenriM54piano manufacturerAlardo farm
166DelvigneJulesM48carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
167DemillierArthurM24hotel garçonSaint-Médard
168DemotieEliséeM41doucheurAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
169DemotieModesteM45weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
171DeskeuveJeanM39state roadmenderBourdon Wall
172DeskeuveMarieF36market gardenerBourdon Wall
173DessyJulesM38storekeeperPaper Mill
174DetinneAugustineF61housewifeRue des Fossés
175DewezFrançoisM32blacksmithPré Capelle
177DidionCallixteM20hotel garçonSaint-Médard
176DiffrangEmileM49weaverBourdon Wall
178DisyGeorgesM34weaverLeffe (convent)
179DisyJacquesM55journalistLeffe (impasse St-Georges)
180DisyJulienM68storekeeperTschoffen Wall
181DisyLucM35weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
182DisyVitalM48weaverLaurent Wall
183DobbeleerJulesM36confectionerImpasse Saint-Roch
184DomeAdolpheM48professorAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
185DomineErnestM51state roadmenderBourdon Wall
187DonnayLéonM36house painterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
188DonnéCamilleM36weaverPaper Mill
186DonyPierre-Joseph AdelinM70janitorCollège communal
189DuboisJosephM62journalistPaper Mill
190DuboisXavierM44colporteurBourdon Wall
191DucheneEmileM49mill fabric driverPaper Mill
192DucheneErnestM55weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
193DufrenneRenéeF37housewifeNeffe (aqueduct)
200DujeuxFrançoisM39truck driverTschoffen Wall
194DumontClémentineF38housewifeBourdon Wall
195DupontJosephM8yesschoolerBourdon Wall
196DupontLéonM38security guardBourdon Wall
197DupontRenéM10yesschoolerBourdon Wall
198DureLéonM50journalistBouvignes
199DuryEmileM49cobblerBourdon Wall
201ElietArthurM56weaverPaper Mill
202EloyWaldorM37teacherPré Capelle
203EnglebertAlexisM61journalistMalaise Farm
204EnglebertVictor-JosephM60garçon-brewerPaper Mill
205ÉtienneAugusteM23valet parkerBourdon Wall
206EugeneEmileM39cultivator (domestic)Mouchenne
207EvrardJean-BaptisteM38weaverPaper Mill
208FabryAlbertM44traderTschoffen Wall
209FallayJacquesM44traderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
210FastresFrançoisM68masonPromenade de Meuse
211FastresOdileF42market gardenerBourdon Wall
212FauconnierAugusteM39storekeeperTschoffen Wall
213FauconnierThéophileM44employee (Leffe factory)Tschoffen Wall
214FauquetAntoine-ZéphyrinM22weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
215FauquetLouisM30hairdresserAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
216FauquetThéophileM52weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
217FecherolleHenriM40plombierTschoffen Wall
218FecherolleHenriM46weaverTschoffen Wall
219FecherolleJosephM33weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
220FecherolleMarcelM17weaverTschoffen Wall
221FeretAlphonseM38valet parkerLaurent Wall
222FeretLouisM16weaverLaurent Wall
223FerrePierreM63religiousPlace de Meuse
224FevrierEugèneM33storekeeperImpasse Saint-Roch
225FevrierGeorgesM31ouvrier tanneurTschoffen Wall
226FievetArnouldM72without professionDevant-Bouvignes
227FievezAugusteM59house painterTschoffen Wall
228FievezCamilleM55house painterRue Saint-Pierre
229FinfeJeanM23factory workerTschoffen Wall
230FinfeJosephM60quarry workerTschoffen Wall
231FinfeJulienM32weaverTschoffen Wall
232FirminAlexisM19dressmakerTschoffen Wall
233FIRMINJoseph-LéonM43dressmakerMontagne de la Croix
234FirminJosephM16apprenti-mechanicTschoffen Wall
235FirminLéonM18typographer (dressmaker)Tschoffen Wall
236FisetieCamilleM50traderTschoffen Wall
237FivetAugusteM36accountantTschoffen Wall
238FivetFerdinandM25cabinetmakerBourdon Wall
239FivetMarietteF3 weeksyesBourdon Wall
240FlostroyEmileM31bakerTschoffen Wall
241FondaireErnestM46stone masonPaper Mill
242FondaireMarcelM14yesPaper Mill
243FondairePaulineF18factory workerFonds de Leffe
244FondaireRobertM16weaverPaper Mill
245FonderFrançoisM62traderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
246FonderJean-BaptisteM31architecteTschoffen Wall
247FontaineDésiréM32pianisteLaurent Wall
248GaudinneAlphonseM47masonBourdon Wall
249GaudinneEdouardM24carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
250GaudinneFrançoisM54carpenterPaper Mill
251GaudinneFlorentM7yesschoolerBourdon Wall
252GaudinneJosephM71drainerHerbuchenne
253GaudinneJulesM16carpenterPaper Mill
254GaudinneRenéM18Quartier de « La Dinantaise »
255GelinneGeorgesM27dressmaker (railway worker)Tschoffen Wall
256GelinneGustaveM28bodybuilderTschoffen Wall
257GenetAlfredM35cookTschoffen Wall
258GenonGildaM19 monthsyesBourdon Wall
259GenotFélicienM64iron turnerLeffe (convent)
260GeorgesAdelinM34carpenterLa « Cité »
261GeorgesAlexandreM36carpenterMontagne de la Croix
262GeorgesAlfredM36weaverPaper Mill
263GeorgesAmandH53employeeLeffe (convent)
264GeorgesApollineF54housewifeNeffe-Dinant
265GeorgesAugusteM58chauffeur to the gas factoryRue Saint-Pierre
266GeorgesAugusteM39dressmakerPlace d'Armes and prison
267GeorgesCamilleM36bakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
268GeorgesHenriM68locksmithEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
269GeorgesJosephM44weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
270GeorgesLouisM28employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
271GeudvertAlbertM17weaverPaper Mill
272GeudvertEmileM54cobblerPaper Mill
273GiauxVictorM49carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
274GillainAlfredM64mechanicRue des Basses Tanneries
275GillainRobertM14yesweaverNeffe-Dinant
276GilletJulesM28marble masonTschoffen Wall
277GilletOmerM45blacksmithBouvignes
278GoardFrançoisM60without professionAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
279GoardMarie-LouiseF5yesRue Grande (?)
280GodainClémentM48sand moulderTschoffen Wall
281GodinneGeorgesM17journalistPaper Mill
282GoffauxMarcelM18rattacheurPaper Mill
283GoffauxPierreM48factory workerPaper Mill
284GoffinEugèneM47brewery workerTschoffen Wall
285GoffinEugèneM15domesticEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
286GonzeFrançoisM25carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
287GonzeLéopoldM65cobblerPaper Mill
288GrandjeanDésiréM56charpentierFonds de Leffe
289GrenierJosephM46journalistAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
290GrignietFrançoisM26employeeTschoffen Wall
291GuerryJosephM31employee (district police station)Neffe-Anseremme
292GuillaumeCharlesM38traderFonds des Pèlerins
293GuillaumeEmileM44teacherAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
294GustinEdmondM10yesschoolerNeffe (aqueduct)
295GustinMargueriteF20seamstressNeffe (aqueduct)
296HabranEmileM31cooperPaper Mill
297HalloyGustaveM48masonHerbuchenne
298HamblenneCatherineF51housewifeBourdon Wall
299HamblenneHubertM45carpenterEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
300HansenAlexisM54maneuverImpasse Saint-Georges
301HardyEdouardM50weaverNeffe-Dinant
302HardyOctaveM39basket makerNeffe-Dinant
303HastirThérèseF80housewifeLa « Cité »
304HaustenneEmileM30quarry workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
305HauteclaireHenriM44quarry workerHerbuchenne
306HautotEmileM30cultivatorHerbuchenne (Alardo farm)
307HautotJosephM34cultivatorPrès de Bonair
308HenenneRenéM21weaverRocher Bayard
309HennuyAlexisM43weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
310HennuyGeorgesM14yesfactory workerEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
311HennuyGustaveM36weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
312HennuyJulesM18weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
313HennuyMarcelM15weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
314HenrionAlphonseM41weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
315HenryCamilleM30factory workerDevant-Bouvignes
316HenryDésiréM27threaderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
317HermanAlphonseM48house painterRue Saint-Jacques
318HermanJosephM29journalistPaper Mill
319HermanJulietteF13yesschoolerNeffe-Anseremme
320HiernauxJulesM41confectioner (baker)Laurent Wall
321HimmerRemyM65factory managerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
322HopiardEmileM29commerce employeeTschoffen Wall
323HotieletArthurM36factory workerPaper Mill
324HoubionEugèneM76boatmanRocher Bayard
325HoubionJulesM50cooperSœurs de la Charité
326HuberlandCamilleM28employeeTschoffen Wall
327HubertOctaveM36police officerTschoffen Wall
328HubinEmileM77ceiling operatorRue Saint-Pierre
339JacqmainAugusteM51dressmakerEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
329JacquetAlexandreM66weaverLeffe (convent)
330JacquetCamilleM29weaverPaper Mill
331JacquetGastonM41bakerRue Saint-Pierre
332JacquetGustave-EdmondM63millerPré Capelle
333JacquetGustaveM23cultivatorPré Capelle
334JacquetHenriM55valet parker (weaver)Paper Mill
335JacquetJosephM45garde-chasseMontagne de la Croix
336JacquetJulesM65traveling salesmanTschoffen Wall
337JacquetLouisM36weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
338JacquetVictorM60factory workerPaper Mill
340JassogneLéonM26cobblerTschoffen Wall
341JassogneThéodorineF27factory workerAux Caracolles
342JaumauxCamilleM44weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
343JaumauxGeorgesM18factory workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
344JaumotAlexandreM36journalistTschoffen Wall
345JuniusJosephM43mechanicAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
346JuniusProsperM51professorLaurent Wall
347KestemontFrançoisM21café garçon Tschoffen Wall
348KinifJosephM61bakerRue Saint-Pierre
349KiniqueEdmondM57storekeeperBourdon Wall
350KiniqueJosephM19diamond dealerBourdon Wall
351KiniqueJulesM13yesstudentBourdon Wall
352KiniqueLouiseF21housewifeBourdon Wall
353LaffutIsidoreM61construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
354LaforetAdolpheM23weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
355LaforetAlphonseM34weaverTschoffen Wall
356LaforetCamille-AlphonseM55brewery workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
357LaforetCamille-VictorM18brewery workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
358LaforetJosephM37weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
359LaforetXavierM31brewery workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
360LagneauErnestM67factory workerBourdon Wall
361LahayeEugèneM47bakerLaurent Wall
362LahayeJosephM55bakerLeffe (convent)
363LalouxCharlotteF32housewifeNeffe (aqueduct)
364LalouxVictor-LambertM76stone masonAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
365LamandMarieF31housewifeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
366LambertFrançoisM45weaverTschoffen Wall
367LambertVictorM43truck driver (brewer)Impasse Saint-Roch
368LambertyLouisM32cooperTschoffen Wall
369LamourEmileM27cabinetmakerRue Saint-Pierre
370LaurentJosephM56traderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
371LaurentMarieF57journalistSaint-Médard
372LavergeMélanieF38housewifeImpasse Saint-Roch
373LebrunAlphonseM33dressmakerTschoffen Wall
374LebrunHenriM48postal workerBourdon Wall
375LebrunJoseph-FrançoisM19dressmakerPlace d'Armes and prison
376LebrunJosephM59journalistImpasse Saint-Roch
377LeclercOlivierM53cultivatorPré Capelle
378LeclercPierreM25cultivatorPré Capelle
379LecocqLouisM53organistTschoffen Wall
380LecomteJoséphineF73housewifeBourdon Wall
381LedentGillesM29terrassierRocher Bayard
382LegrosMarieF51traderPlace d'Armes and prison
383LejeuneCharlesM20wood turnerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
384LemaireCamilleM17butcherImpasse Saint-Roch
385LemaireJeanM41dressmakerTschoffen Wall
386LemaireJulesM42butcherTschoffen Wall
387LemerCharlesM13yesschoolerAnseremme (Brasserie)
388LemerFrançoisM53ceiling operatorTschoffen Wall
389LemineurJoséphineF72without professionAux Caracolles
390LemineurJulesM44locksmithTschoffen Wall
391LempereurJeanneF16telephonistNeffe-Anseremme
392LenainThéodule-Jean-JosephM40construction foreman (Leffe factory)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
393LenainThéoduleM17employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
394LenelAugusteM21hairdresserTschoffen Wall
395LenoirVictorM58journalistSaint-Médard
396LeonardFrançoiseF25housewifeBourdon Wall
397LepageCamilleM53valet parker (domestic)Tschoffen Wall
398LepasLouiseF16factory workerSaint-Médard
399LibertLéonM21factory workerDry les Wennes
400LibertNestorM30pig farmerEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
401LimetJulesM46weaverLeffe (rue St-Georges)
402LionAlexisM41house painterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
403LionAmandM63clockmakerRue Sax
404LionArthurM26weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
405LionCharlesM40dressmakerRue Saint-Pierre
406LionJosephM28traveling salesmanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
407LionJosephM69typographerRue Saint-Pierre
408LionJulesM27clockmakerRue Sax
409LissoirCamilleM33butcher (cooper)Entrance to Fonds de Leffe
410LissoirPierreM71cultivatorEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
411LongvilleFélixM63police commissionerRue Saint-Pierre
412LoozeMarieF43housewifeBourdon Wall
413LouisBenjaminM15weaverLaurent Wall
414LouisDésiréM55construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
415LouisDésiréM20employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
416LouisVitalM18factory workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
417LouisXavierM51construction foreman (Leffe factory)Laurent Wall
418LupsinAlphonseM59quarry workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
419MaillenMarie-ThérèseF42traderHauteurs de la rive droite
420ManteauEdmondM70cabaretierImpasse Saint-Roch
421MaquetElvireF22factory workerAux Caracolles
422MarchalCamilleM44weaverLeffe (convent)
423MarchalHenriM18dressmakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
424MarchalJulesM47storekeeperAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
425MarchalMichelM50dressmakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
426MarchotGildaF2yesBourdon Wall
427MarchotJosephM46wheelwrightBourdon Wall
428MaretieHubertM38employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
429MaretieJosephM42construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
430MarineJosephM55brewery workerMontagne de la Croix
431MarlierFloreF58greengrocerRue des Fossés
432MarsignyMadeleineF22without professionLes Rivages
433MartinAlphonseM62farm domesticHerbuchenne
434MartinHenrietteF19factory workerBourdon Wall
435MartinJosephM23factory workerBourdon Wall
436MartinMarieF17factory workerBourdon Wall
437MartinPierreM60knifemakerBourdon Wall
438MassonCamilleM42construction foreman (Leffe factory)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
439MassonVictorM39construction foreman (Leffe factory)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
440MatagneClotildeF71without professionNeffe-Anseremme
441MaterneJulesM70market gardenerRue Saint-Jacques
442MathieuEmileM51mechanicAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
443MathieuxAugusteM67commissionnaireTschoffen Wall
444MathieuxEugèneM69brewery workerRue Saint-Pierre
445MathieuxFrançoisM23dressmakerTschoffen Wall
446MaudouxArmandM46gluerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
447MaurerOctaveM31brewery workerTschoffen Wall
448MauryAlphonseM48blacksmithTschoffen Wall
449MazyAntoineM49carpenterFonds de Leffe
450MazyJoseph-JulienM55brewery workerTschoffen Wall
451MazyLucienM26weaverMalaise Farm
452MazyUlysseM41dressmakerPaper Mill
453MenuHubertM39longshoremanImpasse Saint-Roch
454MercenierNicolasM72domesticCollège communal
455MeuraAlfredM40cobblerTschoffen Wall
456MeuratEmileM7yesschoolerNeffe (aqueduct)
457MeuratEvaF6yesschoolerNeffe (aqueduct)
458MeuratVictorM2.5yesNeffe (aqueduct)
459MeurisseMarcellineF59housewifeRocher Bayard
461MichelEmileM27dressmakerRue Saint-Pierre
462MichelHyacintheM57journalistLa « Cité »
463MichelJulesM39storekeeperAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
464MichelLambertM63bakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
465MichelLéon-VictorM36employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
466MichelLéon-LouisM49rag merchantAu Couret
470MigeotteAdolpheM62cultivatorPaper Mill
471MigeotteAlphonseM15rattacheurPaper Mill
472MigeotteCamilleM19weaverPaper Mill
473MigeotteConstantM14yesPaper Mill
474MigeotteEmileM32valet parker (pig farmer)Paper Mill
475MigeotteHenriH16rattacheurPaper Mill
476MigeotteLouisM50threaderPaper Mill
467MilcampsJulesM36assistant clerkAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
468MilcampsLucienM68former lock keeperAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
469MinetMarieF45housewifeBourdon Wall
460MlChatAndréeF3yesPlace d'Armes and prison
477ModaveNestorM40cultivatorPré Capelle
478MonardJulesM79renterPont d'Amour
479MoninAlphonseM14yesweaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
480MoninArthurM25weaverLaurent Wall
481MoninCharlesM26factory workerPaper Mill
482MoninEugèneM19factory workerLaurent Wall
483MoninFélixM53threaderPaper Mill
484MoninFernandM55traderPlace de Meuse
485MoninJean-BaptisteM47weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
486MoninHenriM28factory workerPaper Mill
487MoninHyacintheM53weaverLaurent Wall
488MoninJulesM40brewerLaurent Wall
489MoninNicolasM56bakerNeffe (aqueduct)
490MoninPierreM27weaverPaper Mill
494MontyAlexandreM39re-mortarPaper Mill
495MorelleJosephM69charronBourdon Wall
496MorelleJulesM17studentBourdon Wall
497MorelleMargueriteF11yesschoolerBourdon Wall
498MossiatFrédéricM27confectionerTschoffen Wall
499MossiatJulesM38sommelierTschoffen Wall
500MostyEugèneM58brewery workerLaurent Wall
501MoussouxLéonM55hotelierRue Saint-Jacques
491MoutonJulesM48traderAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
492MoutonJustineF76housewifeNeffe-Anseremme
493MoutonRenéM19employeePaper Mill
502NausCharlesM57mechanicLeffe (rue Longue)
503NausJoséphineF67housewifeRue Saint-Pierre
504NepperEmile-ThomasM16studentPaper Mill
505NepperEmileM41butcherTschoffen Wall
506NepperLouisM42cultivatorPaper Mill
507NeuretAugusteM22weaverTschoffen Wall
508NicaiseGustaveM77renterLaurent Wall
509NicaiseLéonM75renterLaurent Wall
510NiniteNellyF24housewifeLes Rivages
511NoelAlexandreM40ceiling operatorLaurent Wall
512OryLouis-JosephM27bakerTschoffen Wall
514PairouxAlfredM45butcherTschoffen Wall
513PanierFernandM38pharmacistTschoffen Wall
515PaquetArmand-JosephM30boilermaker (labourer)Paper Mill
516PaquetArmand-FrançoisM27wood turnerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
517PaquetÉmilieF76housewifeIndéterminé
518PaquetFlorisM22threaderDry les Wennes
519PaquetLouisM34pharmacistTschoffen Wall
520PaquetMarieF37housewifeBourdon Wall
521PaquetMarie-JoséphineF19without professionBourdon Wall
522PatardMarieF57housewifeNeffe-Anseremme
523PatignyJean-BaptisteM43truck driverTschoffen Wall
524PatignyHenriM47hotel garçonTschoffen Wall
525PecasseFlorentM56weaver (tannery worker)Entrée des Fonds de Leffe
526PecasseHermanceF38store managerRue Grande
527PecasseJosephM38quarry workerRue du faubourg Saint-Nicolas
528PeduzyJosephM50cooperTschoffen Wall
529Perez VillazoVicenteM20domestic (cook)Collège communal
530PerreuNicolas-UrbainM40religiousLeffe (aqueduct)
531PetitJosephM17factory workerLa « Cité »
532PetitNoëlM12yesLa « Cité »
533PhilippartJeanM59clothes cutterTschoffen Wall
534PierardOlivierM67renterTschoffen Wall
535PierreAdrien-JosephM73journalistAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
536PietieAdrien-VictorM20traveling salesmanLeffe (impasse St-Georges)
537PietieJosephM45bakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
538PinsmailleAdèleF44market gardener (seamstress)Bourdon Wall
539PinsmailleCharlesM34typographerQuartier de « La Dinantaise »
540PinsmailleMarieF49housewifeBourdon Wall
542PireAntoineM21weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
543PireEmileM53weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
544PiretJosephM47factory workerPaper Mill
545PiretVictorM63postal workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
546PirlotFélicieF67market gardenerBourdon Wall
547PirotJosephM38quilterTschoffen Wall
548PirsonAlexandreM52brewery workerDevant-Bouvignes
549PirsonNarcisseM47postal workerRoute de Namur
541Pl RauxAdelinM32cattle merchantPré Capelle
550PolitaJoachimM32carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
551PolitaLéonM37weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
552PolletAugusteM43market gardener (carrier)Bourdon Wall
553PolletEdouardM15weaverNeffe (aqueduct)
554PolletEugénieF36seamstressBourdon Wall
555PolletLouiseF46housewifeBourdon Wall
556PolletNellyF12 monthsyesBourdon Wall
557PonceletGustaveM22gas workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
558PonceletHenriM61journalistAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
559PonceletHenrietteF54housewifeBourdon Wall
560PonceletPierreM32weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
561PonceletVictorM41industriel (dinandier)Leffe (rue Longue)
562PoncinJulesM48stone masonRue de la Grêle
563PonthieuxFrançoisM84gardenerIndéterminé
564PrignonOctaveM40municipal collectorAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
565QuestiauxFerdinandM51weaverPaper Mill
566QuoilinAnselmeM53employeeLaurent Wall
567QuoilinAnselmeM28employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
568QuoilinDésiréM59construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
569QuoilinFernandM33employeeAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
570QuoilinJosephM56construction foremanAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
571RaseEmmaF50without professionBourdon Wall
572RasseneuxLéopoldineF19factory workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
573RavetFrançois-EugèneM50entrepreneur (carpenter)Paper Mill
574RavetFrançois-AlbertM37wood turnerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
575RavetJosephM39wood turnerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
576RemacleVictorM68journalistFonds de Leffe
577RemyEudoreM39medicRue Sax
578RenardAlbertM27pig farmerTschoffen Wall
579RifflartNestorM55weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
580RobaSimon-JosephM48deputy commissioner of policeTschoffen Wall
581RodrigueJeanM5 monthsyesLes Rivages
582RolinJulesM43employee (croupier)Bourdon Wall
583RomainCamilleM40commissionnaireImpasse Saint-Roch
584RomainHenriM30farm workerImpasse Saint-Roch
585Ronv(E)AuxEmileM66carpenterPaper Mill
586Ronv(E)AuxJosephM38carpenterAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
587RoucouxEdmondM17cobblerImpasse Saint-Roch
588RoucouxMauriceM16weaverImpasse Saint-Roch
589RouelleMarcellineF40housewifeRue Saint-Jacques
590RouffiangeCharlesM68masonEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
591RouffiangeDésiréM32weaverPaper Mill
592RoulinGermaineF20lingerieNeffe-Anseremme
593RoulinHenrietteF12yesschoolerNeffe-Anseremme
594RoulinJosephM23storekeeperBourdon Wall
595SanglierJosephM37employee (factory worker)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
596SarazinHortenseF59housewifeEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
597SauvageAugusteM22employeeImpasse Saint-Roch
598SauvageJosephM28weaverImpasse Saint-Roch
599SchelbachJulesM59bourrelierLes Rivages
600SchramArthurM28weaverPont d'Amour
601SchramEgideM64wood turnerPont d'Amour
602SeguinJulesM67weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
603SehaVitalM59dressmakerNeffe (aqueduct)
604ServaisAdolpheM63former municipal secretaryAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
605ServaisGeorgesM26cabinetmakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
606ServaisLéonM23bakerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
607ServaisLouisM18wood turnerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
608ServilleGuillaumeM51farm domesticRondchêne
609SibretAlfredM18cultivatorRue Saint-Jacques
610SimonAugusteM22basket makerPlace Saint-Nicolas
611SimonÉtienneM78renterLaurent Wall
612SimonFlorianM39factory workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
613SimonLéonM55house painterTienne d'Orsy
614SimonetArthurM47employee (weaver)Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
615SimonetFélixM72renterLaurent Wall
616SinzotLéonM43railway workerLaurent Wall
617SolbrunElieM40valet parker (baker)Rue Saint-Pierre
618SommeAdelinM25electricianTschoffen Wall
619SommeConstantM39carpenterTschoffen Wall
620SommeGrégoireM48cobblerTschoffen Wall
621SommeHyacintheM26bakerTschoffen Wall
622SommeLéonM18electricianTschoffen Wall
623SoreeVitalM15factory workerTschoffen Wall
624SovetEmileM32cookBourdon Wall
625StruvayClaireF2ouiBourdon Wall
626StruvayRenéM11yesschoolerBourdon Wall
627TatonFerdinandeF62housewifeRue Saint-Jacques
628TexhyJosephM39weaverAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
629ThiancheDésiréM30warehouseman (foundry worker)Tschoffen Wall
630ThibauxMaurice-EdmondM15studentAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
631ThirifaysMarie-Thérèse-AdèleF57without professionLeffe
632ThirifaysLambertM33renterImpasse Saint-Roch
633ThomasJosephM33bakerLeffe (convent)
634ToussaintCélineF33housewifeNeffe (aqueduct)
635ToussaintJosephM56weaverTschoffen Wall
636ToussaintLouisM32gluerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza or surroundings
637ToussaintMarieF66housewifePont d'Amour
638ToussaintVictorM24fountain engineerImpasse Saint-Roch
639TrintelerEugèneM47fish merchantPlace de Meuse
640Van BuggenhoutJeanM37concrete workerAbbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe Plaza
641VandeputieHenrietteF21servantBouvignes
642VanderhaegenArthurM36weaverBourdon Wall
643VanhedenPaulineF55traderPlace de Meuse
644VauginAugustin-ArilleM64pig farmerImpasse Saint-Roch
645VerenneArthur-AntoineM24weaverEntrance to Fonds de Leffe
646VerenneArthur-GillesM48valet parkerTschoffen Wall
647VerenneMarcelM17cabinetmakerImpasse Saint-Roch
648VerenneGeorgesM20employeeTschoffen Wall
649VilainAlexandreM40traderRue Saint-Jacques
650VilainFernandM34professor de musiqueTschoffen Wall
651VinstockFernandM25weaverTschoffen Wall
652VinstockFrédéricM57valet parkerTschoffen Wall
653VinstockJulesM15studentTschoffen Wall
654VinstockLouisM19weaverNeffe-Dinant
655WarnantAlzirM34journalistPaper Mill
656WarnantFélixM24journalistPaper Mill
657WarnantPierreM24showmanLeffe (impasse St-Georges)
658WarnantUrbainM30journalistPaper Mill
659WartiqueRachelF20without professionNeffe-Anseremme
660WarzeeOctaveM47construction foremanBourdon Wall
661WasseigeJacquesM19studentTschoffen Wall
662WasseigePierreM20employeeTschoffen Wall
663WasseigeXavierM43bankerTschoffen Wall
664WatrisseEmileM28weaverBourdon Wall
665WilmotieCamilleM23streetcar conductor (cashier)Impasse Saint-Roch
666WinandAntoine-IgnaceM36dressmakerRue Saint-Pierre
667WinandVictorM30cobblerRue Saint-Pierre
668ZwollenEdouardM38marchand de charbons (factory worker)Paper Mill
669ZwollenGeorgesM15weaverFonds de Leffe
670ZwollenJosephM42weaverFonds de Leffe
+671BouchatAdolphineF2 months 1/2
+672DemotieHenriM
+673ÉtienneJosephM55
+674PolitaRaymondM21
+unknown 1MPont d'Amour
+unknown 2MTschoffen Wall
+unknown 3MNeffe (linen marked H.A)

The witnesses

Just a few days after the events that struck Dinant, residents in the local community made the decision to document their personal accounts, allowing for the reconstruction of the events as they occurred.Three depositions from the Bishopric of Namur and the Abbey of Maredsous are noteworthy. The witnesses provide evidence that:

Immediate response to the massacre

Thomas-Louis Heylen, the Bishop of Namur, informed Pope Benedict XV of the situation. A large part of the world's population was outraged. A group of 93 German intellectuals issued the "Manifesto of the 93," a document attempting to absolve their army. On May 10, 1915, the German Empire Foreign Office released a White Book to the world, seeking to prove that "the German troops, unfortunate in their circumstances, were brutally tested in Dinant by savage and unfaithful attacks from a fanatic population."

The Cooreman government responded in its Grey Book of 1916 with the statement, "He is twice guilty who, after violating the rights of others, attempts to justify himself with audacity by attributing false faults to his victim." The Anglo-Saxon press was outraged and referred to the events as "The Rape of Belgium," a term now associated with the atrocities experienced by Belgian civilians in August and September 1914.

For his part, the Bishop of Namur responds to the Germans following the publication of their White Book:

Post-war trials

At the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was compelled by the Allies to conduct a set of trials for purported German war criminals known as the Leipzig Trials, which occurred in 1921. In February 1920, the Allied extradition list had 853 names[5] of chiefs of the former German regime accused of committing heinous acts against civilians, wounded or prisoners of war. Out of the 853, only 43 names were registered with the German . France called for the trial of 11 individuals, Belgium for 15, Great Britain for 5, and Italy, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia for 12. However, these instructions did not pertain to the Dinant massacre.

The trial of a nation's own citizens for war crimes was a new development. Nonetheless, the Leipzig trials were unsatisfactory for the Allies as German justice swiftly absolved the defendants or found mitigating circumstances. The sentences handed down were deemed weak or even symbolic in relation to the committed crimes.

The French and Belgians indicted 7 generals in regards to the exactions committed by the 3rd German Army. On May 9, 1925, a court martial in Dinant sentenced German officers, found guilty in absentia of sacking the town. Finally, at the end of 1925, the court in Leipzig rejected all these judgments and took no further action.

Among the seven generals was Colonel, who commanded the . He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The ruling was rooted in the German investigations of 1915 and 1920, which echoed the arguments presented in the White Book on the francs-tireurs. Lastly, the court recognized the occurrence of hostage executions but found no proof that they were conducted unlawfully.

Remembrance

Commemorations

On August 23, 1919, Paul Deschanel, the president of the French Chamber of Deputies, honored the victims of Dinant. Jean Schmitz and Norbert Nieuwland utilize this speech to demonstrate Dinant's distinctiveness among other Belgian and French towns that were martyred:

Memorials and monuments

On August 20, 1922, a commemorative monument was unveiled at "La Papeterie" (Ravet sawmill). The monument, which can still be viewed today, pays tribute to 68 individuals who were shot at this location. Despite being destroyed in 1940, the monument remains a testament to the tragedy that occurred at this site.

Additionally, two bronze plaques were inaugurated by the Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles on that same day at the former fabric factory site to honor its director, Remy Himmer, and his 147 employees. Lost for some time, the objects were discovered in a public dump in Anseremme in 1956 and kept in the Fonds de Leffe until 2005, when they were finally returned to their original place.

On August 23, 1923, a neo-classical monument was erected in Neffe which, unfortunately, was damaged by the Germans in 1940. The monument commemorates the 81 victims, including 23 individuals killed at the aqueduct and the Neffe citizens executed at the "Bourdon Wall."

On August 23, 1927, the "Altar of the Fatherland" was unveiled in the courtyard of the town hall in the presence of the Crown Prince of Belgium. This monument was created by Brussels sculptor, and it represents an allegory of the victorious Fatherland in several bronze groups. The occasion was also marked with the inauguration of commemorative steles in different parts of the city, including the "Tschoffen Wall". This impressive bronze relief is 1.4 meters tall and 3.5 meters long and was crafted by the same artist. The blue stone base bears the inscription: "" (A sincere tribute of Dinant memory to the innocent victims of German savagery, 116 of whom died here on August 23, 1914). In 1927, a commemorative monument was also erected at the "Mur Bourdon" site. The sculpture, depicting a firing squad holding women and children at gunpoint, has since been lost. The Sacré-Coeur, inaugurated on October 5, 1930, pays homage to the 83 individuals, seven of whom were children aged between three weeks and two years, who perished at the site.

Erected in Leffe on Place de l'Abbaye at "À la cliche de bois", this structure replaced an earlier memorial built around 1920. Notably, the former Servais house bears a commemorative plaque sculpted by Frans Huygelen portraying a bust of Christ on the cross as a tribute to the 243 Leffe victims.

On August 23, 1936, a monument honoring the 23,700 Belgian civilian victims of August and September 1914, which included the 674 victims of the sack of Dinant, was unveiled at the Place d'Armes (Furore Teutonico). The monument was created by sculptor Pierre de Soete and features a central hand with two fingers reaching upwards as a sign of promise. The central stele repeats the Dinant oath, commemorating the victims.

The Germans destroyed it in May 1940 during World War II.

On August 23, 2014, a new memorial with a complete list of the victims was inaugurated on the banks of the Meuse to mark the centenary of the massacre in the presence of the King and the authorities.

Belated apology from Germany

On May 6, 2001, the German government, led by Secretary of State for Defense Walter Kolbow, issued an official apology 87 years after the events in question for the atrocities committed against the Dinant population in 1914.[6]

The local authorities stated that granting forgiveness in the name of the deceased was not within their purview, but they appreciated the effort to reconcile and move forward, particularly for the benefit of younger generations. Following this, a symbolic act was carried out by young Belgians and Germans who raised the German flag on the Dinant bridge, which had previously been the only flag missing among the display of other European flags.

Historiography

The immediate post-massacre research

Written accounts of the Dinant massacres were collected in the winter of 1914, with the initial purpose of recording testimonies and compiling a precise list of victims. Professor Joseph Chot, who received Philippe Pétain in August 1914,[7] searched for eyewitness accounts throughout the Namur region. Dom Norbert Nieuwland of Maredsous Abbey published the first obituary with a list of 606 names. The text was repeatedly published, even by foreign press, to the point where the German military command prohibited its dissemination.

The press, predominantly British but also including that of neutral nations, shared firsthand accounts of civilians and informative pamphlets that condemned the conduct of the German German: Heer. The army was accused of violating the agreements established by Germany pursuant to the Hague Convention of 1907. Occasionally, the desire for emphasis prompted certain journalists to cross the line even further, as stated by Edouard Gérard:

Belgium is often viewed as a victimized country by both the British and Americans, who refer to the tragic events as the "rape of Belgium." It is noteworthy that some Americans are not aware of the United States' humanitarian involvement.[8]

Although the German response was delayed, 93 German intellectuals issued a "manifesto to civilized nations," attempting to absolve their army of any wrongdoing.

The February 1915 German White Book posited that imperial troops encountered francs-tireurs, who were organized, armed, and trained by the Belgian government. Both men and women, and even children, subjected the troops to numerous underhand attacks, resulting in significant losses. The attacks necessitated a response, which could only be violent. In response to the allegations in the German White Book, Mgr Thomas-Louis Heylen, the Bishop of Namur, released a in October 1915. Further opposition to the White Book came from Belgium, which published its own Grey Book in May 1916.

Cardinal Mercier also called for the gathering of accurate and objective information on the atrocities committed by the Germans as early as 1914, independent of the State's efforts to produce its Grey Book.

In response to a request, Mgr Thomas-Louis Heylen assigned his secretary, Canon Jean Schmitz, the responsibility of collecting testimonies and documents to create an accurate account of all the suffering the country underwent due to the Germans' "monument of hypocrisy and lies." Due to Jean Schmitz's role within the bishopric, he was able to enlist the support of all 719 parishes in the diocese. He quickly recognized the challenge of producing an organized and unbiased account. He joined forces with the vicar-general to gather evidence, documentation, and photographic evidence of the perpetrators' actions. On October 31, 1915, the initial report was forwarded to the military governor, Moritz von Bissing, along with neutral country representatives and Pope Benedict XV.

Cardinal Mercier appointed Dom Norbert Niewland from Maredsous Abbey to complete a corresponding task, unaware another was already assigned. In November 1918, they joined forces, combining their documentation of over 2,000 testimonies collected during the four-year war to cross-check their sources for objectivity.

This material resulted in the publication of seven volumes of "" between 1919 and 1924. Volume IV, which is divided into two parts, focuses on the Battle of Dinant. The initial section on the conquest of the Meuse was released in June 1921, while the second section on the town's sacking was released in April 1922.

The archives of Jean Schmitz were be held at the bishopric of Namur, while Dom Norbert Nieuwland's archives were stored at the abbey of Maredsous. The documentation was made available to researchers early on. The Jean Schmitz archives comprise 41 boxes that have all been classified and indexed by an archivist. Meanwhile, those of Norbert Nieuwland consist of just one box pertaining to the 1914-1918 period. They were hastily buried in a metal box during World War II and were found to be largely degraded by its end. In 1938, a portion of Jean Schmitz's documents were relocated to the and cataloged in 1991. The Jean Schmitz archival collection contains 4.54 linear meters of records, predominantly composed of themed files. Regrettably, the approach used by Jean Schmitz, which involved fragmenting and thematically organizing the original documents, renders the reconstruction of the initial parish reports a laborious undertaking.

Already praised in the 1920s, Schmitz and Nieuwland's work remains highly regarded by contemporary historians researching the topic. According to John Horne and Alan Kramer, the documentation is exceptional.

Interwar period

In the 1920s, Dinant unveiled multiple memorials. Germany was offended by the use of the terms "German barbarism" and "Teutonic fury" and criticized the Belgian government for reviving the "legend of atrocities". The controversy resurfaced. In 1927, Professor Christian Meurer,[9] commissioned by the Reichstag to investigate the events of August 1914, submitted his conclusions.[10] The Weimar Republic endorsed the text, which reaffirmed the presence of "" and supported the thesis of the White Book. Norbert Nieuwland and Maurice Tschoffen responded with their book "." Meurer criticized Tschoffen for insulting Germany in his response to Tschoffen's first reports in the Belgian government's XXth report.

During the interwar period, revisionist literature emerged, even in English-speaking countries, due to the dynamics of pacification.

In May 1940, during World War II, the occupying forces used the pretext that it was an affront to justify the dynamiting of the memorial to the 674 victims of August 1914. The memorial, entitled "furore teutonico," was erected in 1936 on the Place d'Armes. In the 1950s, there was an ongoing dispute over whether to include the events of August 1914 in history textbooks. During the 1960s, historians from Germany, Belgium, and France collaborated on the matter. Specifically, Belgians, Jean de Sturler, and Léon van der Essen, worked alongside Germans Franz Petri, Hans Rothfels, and Werner Conze.

Events and recent historical research

In 1994, John Horne and Allan Kramer published an article[11] analyzing the campaign diaries of German soldiers present in Belgium during August 1914. This publication successfully debunked the legend of German atrocities committed in Belgium during World War I. Since 1995, historians including Michel Coleau, Aurore François, Michel Kellner, Vincent Scarniet, Axel Tixhon, and Frédéric Vesentini have conducted research on the episode. Thanks to first-hand accounts and German documents such as war diaries, and eyewitness accounts, the facts have been established. These historians have contextualized and analyzed the evidence.

In 2001, John Horne and Allan Kramer published German Atrocities, which was subsequently translated into French in 2005 under the title , subtitled . The sacking of Dinant is now recognized as a reality.

However, in August 2017, art historian Ulrich Keller reignited the controversy[12] in his book .[13] The author posits that civilian gunfire towards the German army was the catalyst for the German response towards the population. The analysis draws from archival documents in Berlin, showing the finding of Belgian and French soldiers' uniforms in Dinant without accompanying weapons. The author concludes that soldiers disguised themselves as civilians to shoot at German soldiers. He examined the injuries sustained by certain soldiers, which were unlikely to have been inflicted by conventional weaponry but rather by shotguns.

However, Horne and Kramer, in their book, concede that it cannot be entirely discounted that in isolated instances, civilians might have opened fire on the enemy to defend themselves (as allowed by the Second Hague Conference of 1907), but they emphasize the sporadic occurrence of such incidents. Military historian Fernand Gérard urged Angela Merkel to request that her government make a formal denial.[14] The municipal council of Dinant officially and unanimously denounced the allegations in Keller's book at its November 27, 2017 meeting, and also urged the federal government to take the same position.[15] The German newspaper Die Welt now concurs with Axel Tixhon's findings. Although the Belgian militia (the Garde Civique) may have fired on the Germans, there was no occurrence of ("francs-tireurs war") in Dinant. The latter was a fabrication of the German soldiers' imagination. Lastly, as Keller's conclusions rely solely on the latter's accounts, their validity is questionable. Axel Tixhon, a historian who specializes in the events of August 1914, argues that this work faces a challenge as it pursues objectives that differ from those of scientific research.[16]

Linked personalities

Philippe Pétain and Charles de Gaulle

Two significant individuals who played vital roles in World War II were present in Dinant. Firstly, 58-year-old Philippe Pétain served as a colonel under Charles Lanrezac, commander-in-chief of the 5th French Army during the war. Colonel Pétain led the 4th Brigade of the 1st Army Corps and arrived in Dinant on August 13. He stayed with Joseph Chot, a professor of history, and his spouse during his time there.

The other influential figure was Charles de Gaulle, who was only 23 years old at the time and served as a young lieutenant. He encountered his baptism by fire on August 15, 1914. He led the first section of the 11th company of the Arras, under the command of General Duplessis. Following a forced march, he arrived in Dinant on the night of August 14–15. Observing that the Germans had not yet occupied the town, his unit rested on the ground in a street in Dinant's faubourg Saint-Médard. In his 2014 published war diaries, he provides detailed descriptions of the events from the 15th, including the circumstances leading to his injury as his unit crossed the Dinant bridge (now named after him) to support the troops engaged in the battle for the citadel.

He crawled on his stomach while clutching his sabre that was secured to his wrist by a lanyard and eventually made it to Madame Meurice's residence. The house was filled with civilians and soldiers, including a French Major who lost control after sustaining an injury to the head. The injured soldier was then transported to Charleroi via Anthée and finally to the in Paris where he underwent surgery.[17]

On September 11, 1927, Philippe Pétain, who was then serving as the vice-president of the Conseil supérieur de la guerre, visited Dinant with his aide-de-camp, Captain de Gaulle. Together, they inaugurated the monument, which had been sculpted by Alexandre Daoust. The monument was located in the French cemetery of the Dinant citadel.[18]

On August 15, 2014, a statue of Lieutenant de Gaulle was erected just before the entrance to the bridge on the left bank. There is a commemorative plaque at the exact place where he was wounded, which marks the episode that had a significant impact on his life. The plaque raises the question of why he survived while many others were left behind.

Prince Maximilian of Saxony

At the time of the events, Maximilian von Sachsen, the brother of King Frederick-Augustus III of Saxony, served as chaplain to the German 23rd Division during the invasion of Belgium. He witnessed the atrocities committed by his army and later affirmed these observations.

Hermann Hoffmann, a German chaplain, discusses in his memoir how in September 1914, he encountered another volunteer chaplain in Belgium, Prince Max, brother of the King of Saxony, whose neutrality had been violated. With tears in his eyes, Prince Max expressed that if a just god existed, Germany would lose the war due to the atrocities committed in Belgium.

Finally, some historians of Dinant identify Maximilien de Saxe as the officer who intervened after the Tschoffen Wall shoot-out to prevent a potential mass execution at Dinant prison, though there is no evidence to support this claim. However, it is known that he intervened in, a few kilometers away, to halt the execution of civilians.

See also

References

  1. (fr) Léon Maccas, La guerre de 1914: les cruautés allemandes, réquisitoire d'un neutre (Nouvelle édition), Nouvelle librairie nationale, Paris, 1915 .
  2. (fr) Jean-Philippe Petit, "Dinant Le 6 mai sera le jour du 'rapprochement' Le drapeau allemand flottera sur le pont", Le Soir, 14 march 2001 (read online)
  3. (fr) Axel Tixhon. "Ex Cathedra: Qui étaient les bourreaux de Dinant en 1914 ?". Matélé.be. Ex Cathedra.
  4. (de) "Militärische Notwendigkeit und Humanität" in Deutsche Rundschau, t. XIII, p. 117, quoted by .
  5. Book: Bibliothèque nationale de France . Liste des personnes désignées par les Puissances alliées pour être livrées par l'Allemagne en exécution des articles 228 à 230 du traité de Versailles et du protocole du 28 juin 1919 . fr.
  6. (fr) Jean-Yves Le Naour (2016). 1914, la grande illusion. Place des éditeurs.
  7. (fr) Pierre Pellissier, Philippe Pétain, Hachette, 1980 (repr. FeniXX), 384 p. (ISBN 9782706232336)
  8. Web site: 2 January 2023. Branden Little. 1 January 2014. La mobilisation humanitaire des villes américaines en faveur de l'aide à la Belgique, 1914-1918. Cahiers Bruxellois – Revue d’histoire urbaine – Archives Ville de Bruxelles.
  9. Christian Meurer (1856-1935) - source Worldcat
  10. (de) Christian Meurer, Völkerrecht im Weltkrieg. 1914-1918, Berlin, 1927
  11. J. Horne and H. Kramer, "German 'Atrocities' and Franco-German Opinion, 1914: The Evidence of German Soldiers' Diaries", Journal of Modern History, no 66, 1994, p. 1-33 (introduction).
  12. (de) Sven Felix Kellerhoff, "Die Belgier, nicht ein Haar besser als die Kosaken!", Die Welt, december 2017.
  13. Book: Ulrich Keller. 2017. 9783657787449. de. Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh. Schuldfragen: Belgischer Untergrundkrieg und deutsche Vergeltung im August 1914.
  14. (fr) Christian Laporte, "Un historien militaire belge interpelle Angela Merkel: l'étonnante relecture allemande des massacres d'août 14", La Libre, november 2017 (read online)
  15. "23. Condamnation officielle des accusations de participation de la population dinantaise contre l'invasion allemande en 1914", in Dinant, Procès-verbal du conseil communal du 27 novembre 2017 (read online [PDF]), p. 24 ff.
  16. (fr) matele.be, "On ne peut pas laisser dire que le massacre de 1914 était dû à une résistance des Dinantais", november 2017 (Accessed 31 august 2019).
  17. (fr) Frédérique Neau-Dufour, La Première guerre de Charles de Gaulle: 1914-1918, Tallandier, 2013, 384 p.,
  18. (fr) Christian Ferrier, Discours inaugural de la statue à l'effigie de Charles de Gaulle, Dinant, 15 august 2014.

Bibliography

Further reading

Other medias

Documents

Street theater

External links