A German anti-tank gun, witness to the Battle of the Bulge

In the village of Meyerode, next to the school building, stands a German 75mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun. The anti-tank gun is a reminder of the time of the Battle of the Bulge. Across from the school is a café. At that location, there was once the headquarters of SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and Generaloberst of the Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, commander of the 6th Panzer Army.

On December 16, 1944, bombs first fell outside the village. A German V1 hit the Hoffmann mill. On December 18, German soldiers marched into the village.

Due to the American counteroffensive on January 20, 1945, several buildings were severely hit, and on the night of January 25, almost all houses were damaged. Two heavy impacts struck the church, and the following night, even more severe devastation would follow: Meyerode was hit by 200 shell impacts. Two women, one from the village itself and one who had been evacuated from Faymonville, died as a result. In the two world wars, 31 soldiers from Meyerode lost their lives.

Jan Rymenams