The work of art ‘Peace‘ (‘Vrede‘), which adorned the Wapper at Antwerp‘s big shopping street Meir for years, will be given a new place in the city. The memorial for the V-bombs in Antwerp in World War II is moving to the Franklin Rooseveltplaats (Franklin Roosevelt Square).

Sculptor Hilde Van Sumere (1932 – 2013) created the war memorial in 1988 on behalf of the city of Antwerp on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Belgian Red Cross. The work is an important memorial to the V-bombs that ravaged the city in 1944 and 1945. The greatest human toll was exacted by the bomb that hit the busy Cinema Rex on the De Keyserlei (De Keyser Avenue) on December 16, 1944. It killed 567 people, including 296 soldiers and 271 civilians.

Bearing this historical event in mind, the work of art was inaugurated on September 27, 1988 on the corner of Frankrijklei (France Avenue) and Teniersplaats (Teniers Square), near the former Cinema Rex. Initially it was planned for the De Keyserlei itself, as close as possible to the bombed cinema, but this location was ultimately not chosen because of the view of Antwerp-Central Railway Station.

On April 15, 1993, the monument was moved to the Wapper for road safety reasons. However, due to the many catering terraces, it was not very visible there, something Van Sumere himself also regretted.

New place on the Rooseveltplaats

The limited visibility and the future renovation of the public domain of the Wapper mean that ‘Peace’ will now be moved to the Rooseveltplaats. 

This new location restores the link with the historical context of the work of art, and allows residents and visitors of the city to (re)discover it without hindrance. ‘Peace’ will be restored, after which the artwork will permanently move to the Rooseveltplaats. It will be solemnly inaugurated there on 28 March 2024, the day that the last V-bomb fell in greater Antwerp in 1945.

About the artwork

‘Peace’ is one of the few purely abstract public works of art in the Art in the City collection. This pure, geometric formal language characterizes the oeuvre of Van Sumere, whose work can also be seen in, among others, the Middelheim Museum and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (KMSKA). 

In the artist’s words, the triangular shapes that make up the statue symbolize “faith, hope and love – virtues without which peace is not possible”. 

Although the reason is the historical human suffering of war, Van Sumere chose to make a work for all the people who ensure that we can now live in peace. The work of art is therefore not only a memorial but also a lasting symbol for the importance of peaceful coexistence, today and tomorrow.

Alderman for Culture Nabilla Ait Daoud (N-VA): “Together with all Antwerp residents, we continue to remember the victims of the wars in our city. We can only be happy that this important monument will now get the beautiful place it deserves. ​ That the new exhibition will be held in the Museum At the Stream (MAS) ‘City at War. Antwerp, 1940-1945‘ has already attracted more than 40,000 visitors, is proof that the victims of this horror should never be forgotten.”