Grote Markt (Aarschot)

[WWI]

When shots suddenly rang out in the city on the evening of 19 August 1914, the German commander Stenger was shot on the balcony of the house of Mayor Tielemans. In the following hours, houses were set on fire and men, women and children were chased to the Grand Place. There they waited for hours, uncertain of their fate. In the following hours, two groups of hostages would be taken out of the city and the innocent civilians would be shot.

Here you can see numerous reminders of the facts of the war: the war memorial, the red mailbox where the shot at Stenger is said to have been fired and the house of Mayor Tielemans. Walk to the information board and read the events in detail. Also look at the beautifully rebuilt houses.

Toerisme Aarschot