Chapel Verschaeve, Alveringem in the Great War

The former chapel or sub-presbytery in the Sint-Rijkersstraat in Alveringem was given a new, contemporary museum interpretation. The house where the well-known priest-poet Cyriel Verschaeve lived for many years was set up as an experience centre, where the unique story of Alveringem in the Great War is told. That story doesn't stop at the walls of downtown. You are invited to experience the war in the landscape and at important sites in Alveringem and the entire Westhoek.

The chapel was built around 1880 by order of Baroness Maria Surmont de Volsberghe. The austere two-storey brick house with a tiled gable roof is a representative example of a chapel as it was built in the last quarter of the 19th century.

From 1911 to 1939, the house was inhabited by priest, poet and thinker Cyriel Verschaeve (1874-1949). Although he has written an extensive literary oeuvre of romantic poetry and prose, the name Cyriel Verschaeve will forever be linked to the great but controversial role he played in the history of the Flemish Movement. The chapel was protected as a monument in 2005 because of its historical and socio-cultural value.

During the First World War, the chapel was a refuge for fellow villagers, Flemish intellectuals, soldiers, officers, chaplains and notables of unoccupied Belgium. Here war and peace are discussed, but also about important matters of state, about art and the struggle against moral decay, about the Front movement and activism, about war fatigue and desertion,...

Historical accuracy is central to the museum's interpretation. There are no taboos. Cyriel Verschaeve's wrong path after the First World War will not be obscured. The story of Verschaeve's extreme radicalisation and his collaboration with Nazi Germany illustrates how radical nationalism can go off the rails.

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: by appointment only (groups of min. 15 people)

Admission is free.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden