One hundred and one years ago Kortrijk was still an occupied city. The Germans exploited the inhabitants. Allied bombs sowed fear and destruction. Thousands of Kortrijk locals lived in terror. All those who could tell us about it have now passed away. Kortrijk was the first major city behind the front line, and this made it extremely important to the Germans. It is no wonder that there are a great many places in our city that conjure up memories of the First World War. For example, the station was used to transport prisoners of war to Germany, to serve as forced labor.
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| City Hall Was the Headquarters of the German Occupying Force. In the Chaire Is Oberstleutnant Günther, Etappenkommandant of the Etappenkommandantur Kortrijk |
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| A visit by the Kaiser (in the limousine) in 1915 |
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| Pigeon Prison: Kortrjik's pigeons were kept under strict military guard because the Germans feared they would be used for espionage. The owners had to contribute financially to the pigeons’ upkeep. |
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| Eleven military hospitals were located in the area. The former cloth hall, which was a museum and theatre before the war, was taken over and used as a hospital. |
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| A German troop formation on Handboogstraat, a street with a popular brothel |
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| When the Germans were forced to retreat from Kortrijk on 16 October 1918, they set off no less than 750 kg of explosives under the Broelbrug. The Broel Towers were left badly damaged as a result. |
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| Manfred von Richthofen was wounded when stationed nearby |
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| British and Scottish prisoners of war passing through |
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| An air raid shelter under construction |
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| Liberation ceremony at the Grote Markt, 28 October 1918 |
Source: Memories of the Great War in Kortrijk
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