With the weather not cooperating and a lot of work, I didn’t get to ride my Moto Guzzi as much as I would have liked. There was an occasion last week, and in between rain showers and freezing temps, I was more than pleased to be outside. As I have stated, the outside is free.
Because I wasn’t feeling well, I opted to stay as near to home as possible and simply enjoy the surroundings.
My first stop
We are situated on 302 acres of the Hechtelse municipal forest, halfway between Hechtel and Leopoldsburg. Administratively, it is located on the territory of Hechtel; nonetheless, the Hechtels woodland is part of the military training fields of the Camp of Beverlo for the Belgian army. (This was Leopoldsburg’s original name before it became a municipality and received its own name.)
During WWII, the Nazis and their crimes transformed Hechtels Woods into a covert location for the execution and burial of resistance fighters and other victims. As a result, the civilian population refers to it as the “Secret Graveyard.”
Stopping my bike now transported me back to the moment I arrived in Breendonk’s horror camp. It’s not the best feeling, but it comes with a lot of gratitude for those who gave it all for us.
The panel at the entrance to the memorial and cemetery reads: “DUNES OF THE EXECUTED.”
I passed this location on my mountain bike several times years ago and had no idea it had such an amazing history. After entering the gate, I came to an S-corner and followed the trail. The vista after the S curve was something I did not expect to see at this location.
In my viewpoint, an executing place…
The secret regulations of the German military administration during the war show that the Hechtel hidden cemetery was founded in 1942. “As of May 18, 1942, all subordinate authorities were required to keep an inventory of executed hostages and other people sentenced to death by a German court martial.”
Surname, first name, place and date of birth, crime committed, place and date of execution, former (provisional) cemetery are all required.
As a result, all inmates executed in Belgium will be buried on the Camp’s military training grounds.
The commander of the ‘Luftgau’ (the ‘Luftwaffe’ in Belgium) has also ordered that all victims summarily convicted to death and murdered by the Luftwaffe apparatus be buried in Camp Beverlo’s military training grounds.”
However, the German occupation did not stop at (re)burying victims who had been executed elsewhere. He then went on to conduct out on-the-spot executions.
The four execution posts in front of the bullet trap (a wooden wall of stacked logs) are still splattered with bullets.
At October 1986, 174 concrete, whitewashed crosses were put on what are now 174 empty graves in the former cemetery. They are reminiscent of the 174 resistance fighters and captives described before, who had spent several years (1942-1945/1947) temporarily resting here.
A bit further up, there was a resistance monument, which was a big rock with a bronze sculpture of a resistance fighter with a rifle over his shoulder. “RESISTANCE” is written on the rock. The text on the two smaller plates reads, “Remembrance of the resistance who have fallen for freedom.”
I had visited this area many times before, and now I was in complete silence, not expecting this horrorcast would actually occur amid these beautiful dunes and lovely woodland.
After capturing this location on film, I realized how many things we all take for granted. As I previously stated, I came by here several times and was always attracted by the military domain because it is always fun to play military games as a kid.
I had no idea evil was taking place here in the tranquil forests. I realize there is still so much I don’t know and that life is passing us by without pausing to be appreciative for the moments we can be well, happy, and together with our loved ones.
Life can be harsh at times, but it is also lovely in every aspect. Sure, not everything goes as planned, but the most important thing is that we learn from our mistakes. That, I feel, helps people evolve.
My visit to this area demonstrates my thankfulness for the opportunity to live in a free country. Many people dedicated their lives for this, so we must cherish what we have and make the most of it in every manner imaginable!
Thank you to all the families that are fighting for their faith!
thank you to the people of Vogelsang for their help in history.