Monuments Park

On September 19, 2004, the Memorial Park was inaugurated by Mayor Dirk De Vis. The park is a memorial site focused on the themes of war and violence. The main goal is to bring together all the war monuments that had been scattered across the districts of Kwaadmechelen and Oostham up until that point. In this part of the park, several collection pieces from the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History based in Brussels are also permanently displayed.

Monument Kwaadmechelen and Oostham
In memory of the local victims from the First and Second World Wars, the local authorities erected a monument. The one in Kwaadmechelen was placed during the construction of the Pater Gevers Square behind the church. The one in Oostham found its permanent place in the park near the church after the evacuation of the old cemetery. Both monuments have stood side by side in the Municipal Monument Park of our merged municipality in Oostham since September 19, 2004.

The Mourning Widow
This monument has commemorated since 1999 at the Kwaadmechelen cemetery the numerous victims who fell at the Albert Canal in Kwaadmechelen on May 11, 12, 13, and 14, 1940. Since August 1939, the Belgian Army had fortified the Albert Canal as a stronghold to stop the Germans. After the invasion on May 10, 1940, German units from Leopoldsburg reached the Albert Canal in Kwaadmechelen. After nearly four days of fighting, they succeeded in crossing the canal and continuing their advance westward. The battles claimed the lives of sixteen Belgian and four German soldiers. After a temporary grave at the field of honor, the bodies were transferred to the cemetery of Kwaadmechelen. Today, no fallen soldiers rest there anymore. All bodies were moved to their respective localities over the years.

The Bronze Plaque Under the Bridge
This memorial plaque also commemorates the fights on May 11, 12, 13, and 14, 1940. The Cyclist Squadron of the Sixth Infantry Division was deployed on the night of May 11 to 12, 1940, at the bridge in Kwaadmechelen. They thwarted the first attempt by the Germans to cross the canals on May 12, 1940. The Germans were forced to retreat towards Kwaadmechelen. The squadron lost eight men, and thirty-four of them were taken prisoner. To commemorate this achievement, a memorial plaque was inaugurated on July 22, 1951, on the initiative of the Squadron Commander, Henri De Page, and in the presence of numerous veterans, by Mayor Emiel Hermans under the bridge of the Albert Canal.

Monument of the English
This stone commemorates the English soldiers who fell during the liberation of Kwaadmechelen and Oostham. On September 6, 1944, the English troops reached the Albert Canal from Tessenderlo. Genendijk and Genebos were liberated. On September 8, 1944, English troops crossed the bridge in Beringen and entered Oostham via Beverlo. English and German forces fought over our territory. On September 13, 1944, Oostham was definitively liberated. The battle claimed four English lives. The memorial stone was inaugurated on September 16, 2000, by Mayor Georges Michiels.

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