The vanished lazaret

Where the library now stands, the 'lazaret' was built in 1913. The name is a bit strange but probably has to do with the fact that the building was used as an extra hospital for the Belgian and German troops during the First World War. In reality, this building was intended to isolate the contagious sick. In fact, we see that several hospitals built such a building during that period. It was a little isolated from the bourgeois hospital but was connected to it by a corridor.

The sick who were cared for were sufferers of tuberculosis and venereal diseases.

The building would be demolished in the 1970s to make way for a general hospital.

The nearby museum, completely renovated and with a special exterior, was a maternity ward from the 1950s to the 1980s. Fewer and fewer people are giving birth at home. The architect for both buildings was Van Riel, known for the Middelheim Hospital in Antwerp. Here, the setup was more modest.

Jan Rymenams