Antwerp unveils texts and names for monument in honour of WWII victims

On the weekend of 7 and 8 September 2024, Antwerp commemorated 80 years of liberation. During that weekend, a commemoration ceremony took place at the Loodswezensite or Pilotage Site on the Orteliuskaai, where a Names Monument will be built in the future for Antwerp’s victims of World War II.

During this commemoration, the texts that will be on the Names Monument were announced, and the names of the three memorial gardens were also unveiled.

Striking texts on Names Monument

The ceremony took place for the first time at the new commemoration site at the Loodswezen or Pilotage on the Scheldt Quays. The Names Monument, the future monument-memorial for Antwerp’s victims of the Second World War, will be built there.

During the commemoration, the many victims of the war were remembered and the sacrifices made to protect our democratic values such as freedom and equality were commemorated.

The monument will feature the names of more than 23,000 Antwerp victims of the Second World War who died, as well as some moving texts to reflect on how the war affected the people of Antwerp in different ways. The texts were announced during the commemoration and can be downloaded below via the button.

Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA): “More than 23,000 fellow citizens and soldiers did not survive the horrors of the Second World War. The monument-memorial will give them a name in a dignified and visible place along our proud Scheldt Quays and inextricably link their memory to that of our city. “

“Thanks to extensive archive research, with the cooperation and support of countless relatives, acquaintances and ordinary Antwerp residents, the victims are often given a face and a life story. The Names Monument is also a lasting testimony to the many scars, both physical and mental, that the people of Antwerp suffered during the war. In this way, Antwerp not only cherishes the commemoration of those who unfortunately lost their lives during the war, but also pays attention to those who survived the war but were forever scarred. Antwerp will never forget them.”

Annick De Ridder (N-VA), Alderman for Urban Development and chair of municipal real estate agency AG Vespa: “In the spirit of the Liberation celebrations, we unveiled a mock-up of the Names Monument, the memorial for the victims of the Second World War, on the Loodswezensite. This way, every Antwerp resident can already experience a little bit of how we will honor our recent past here in the near future. The works for the redevelopment of the public space on the Loodswezen site will start in the spring of 2025. Until then, there will also be an open-air exhibition, with information about the Names Monument, among other things.”

Names canal gardens honour Antwerp residents

Six linear walls will be provided on the site of the former canals, which will form the basis of the Names Monument. The memorial walls along the canals mark out the three canal gardens, or memorial gardens. These canal gardens are named after an Antwerp resident who showed great commitment or resistance during the Second World War and survived the war.

Architect Hugo Van Kuycktuin. Hugo Van Kuyck (1902-1975), engineer-architect, was the architect of the Allied landing maps in 1944.
Eva Fastagtuin. Eva Fastag (1917-2021) was an Antwerp Jewish typist who saved lives in the Dossinkazerne in Mechelen.
Marcel Louettetuin. Marcel Louette (1907-1978), teacher at the Keistraat city school, alias Fidelio, was the founder of the resistance movement Witte Brigade Fidelio after May 1940.

Councillor for Public Domain Erica Caluwaerts (OL-A): “With the redevelopment of this area, we are not only creating a beautiful green space on the Scheldt, but we are also honouring courageous Antwerp residents from our history. The canal gardens, named after heroes Hugo Van Kuyck, Eva Fastag and Marcel Louette, serve as serene places of rest and reflection, and honour their exceptional courage and dedication. By linking their names to this place, we make future generations reflect on the importance of freedom and solidarity. These gardens are not only a place of reflection, but also a powerful symbol of the connection between our city and its history.”

Informative text Names Monument

“This monument commemorates more than 23,000 Antwerp victims of the Second World War, who died in the period from 10 May 1940 to 31 December 1945.

The monument follows the course of the former city canals. Each canal is flanked by walls that bear the names of:

The Jewish women, men and children who, together with other people who were labelled as inferior by the Nazis, were brutally murdered in a genocide on an industrial scale during the Holocaust.
The women and men who lost their lives under Nazi repression or died because of their commitment in the resistance struggle against it.
The civilians who died as a result of the military violence of the war, often in merciless bombardments with weapons of terror. The Belgian and allied soldiers who died in their youth defending and liberating Antwerp.

The names of the victims are always arranged alphabetically by victim group.

The monument is made up of ten types of stone with different colour shades. Each type of stone refers to an age group of the victims, from 0 to 9 years old to 90 to 99 years and older. The colours of the different types of stone become increasingly darker depending on the age category. The pink-orange types of stone refer to the youngest age categories, followed by the green and blue shades that darken as the age of the victim increased.

These victims are also commemorated online and you can find more information about who they were, as well as about the archive research that preceded this Names Monument.”

Text broader victimhood

“This monument lists the names of the Antwerp victims of the Second World War. More than 23,000 women, men and children were brutally murdered, killed or died as a result of the horrors of National Socialism. However, the number of victims that the war made in Antwerp is immeasurably greater.

This monument is in memory and recognition of all Antwerp victims of war. For those whose names remain unknown to us, of whom all trace has disappeared.

For those who survived the war, but for years, even decades, were burdened by the war suffering that they carried with them in silence.

For the many thousands of wounded, physically and mentally, whose scars were a daily reminder of the war.

For those who decided to end their lives after the war, for whom the loss and suffering inflicted were unbearable.

For the many other victims, and their descendants, for whom the memory of the war has permanently marked their lives.

For all of them stands this monument-memorial.”

Quote Holocaust survivor

“When I was a young person living in the extermination camps under the fist of the Nazis, when we had no idea what the next day would bring, the adults entrusted me with their last wishes and testaments.

‘We probably won’t survive the horrors’, they said, ‘but you are young and may be saved. Take our stories with you and tell them so that they will never be forgotten.’

Since then, I have carried a miniature cemetery in my heart. My stories are the gravestones of those who did not return and who asked me to serve as their messenger of history.”

Herschel Fink (1924-2014), Antwerp Holocaust survivor.