Death cells & Execution site Poperinge

In the courtyard of the town hall, an execution post serves as a reminder of the atrocities that took place here during WW1. At least four soldiers appeared here before the firing squad. The prison cells date back to 1913. During the First World War, many Belgian, British, and French soldiers spend one or more nights here. They are condemned for drunkenness or for being absent from their barracks. Those caught visiting a café during prohibited hours also risk a prison sentence. Some leave a trace in the form of graffiti: drawings of busty ladies, a name or a date, lewd comments, a reference to the regiment, etc. For some soldiers, this is the death cell. Here, they spend their last hours waiting for execution. The execution takes place in the courtyard of the town hall at dawn. At least four soldiers have been executed in this courtyard.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden