Jump to content

Draft:Heroes Monument of Heist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Heroes Monument of Heist-aan-zee (2021)

The Heroes Monument of Heist was erected and inaugurated in November 1921. It commemorates the military and civilian victims from Heist-aan-Zee during World War I with the inscription "De bevolking van Heyst-aan-zee aan hare gesneuvelde soldaten" ("The people of Heyst-aan-zee to their fallen soldiers").

History

[edit]

Following the erection of the Heroes Monument, the square behind the then Casino Kursaal Hotel, where the monument was placed, was named Heldenplein (Heroes Square).

After World War II, a plaque was added to the monument for the victims of this war. At the base of the monument, a memorial stone was placed with an urn containing “nameless ashes collected in the crematorium of the Dachau concentration camp.

In 2014, a plan was unveiled for the redevelopment of Heldenplein. Although it was stated that the implementation of this plan would not “negatively impact the architectural heritage,” there were discussions about relocating the war monument and integrating it into the Director General Willemspark. There was considerable uncertainty regarding this. In all the models of the redevelopment, the war monument was not present and "something else" was depicted in its place.

Under pressure from groups including the local heritage association Heyst Leeft, it was decided that the Heroes Monument would remain in its original location.

[edit]

References

[edit]