Nationalism and Commemoration in Belgian Military Cemeteries

Abstract

This article addresses the commemorative practices in Flanders from World War I through World War II. In particular, the paper investigates the challenges faced by the primary belligerent countries after WWI: How to commemorate the dead soldiers that lay along trench lines from Belgium into France? Flemish and Belgian nationalist concerns affected the implementation of postwar national cemeteries. The article examines both the material embodiment of World War I – for instance the heldenhuldezerken – and the meanings attributed to commemoration and remembrance of the war dead.

Keywords

• Flamingantism
• heldenhuldezerken
• Flemish Movement
• King Albert of Belgium