Belgium prepares local Armistice Day commemorations

Various local authorities in Belgium are organizing ceremonies to commemorate Armistice Day and honor victims of war and oppression.

In Torhout and Wijnendale, commemorations will include religious services, musical tributes, and flower offerings at monuments. The events, scheduled for November 8 and 11, aim to reflect on the importance of peace and connection. The Torhout ceremony will feature a Te Deum and a musical tribute by Matthijs Dedeyne on the bagpipes.

In Wommelgem, the remembrance will include the placement of a ‘Stolperstein’ (stumbling stone) for August Hoes. Hoes was a resistance fighter during the Second World War who survived imprisonment in camps including Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen. The brass memorial stone will be installed at his former residence on Rollebeekstraat to ensure his story remains visible to future generations. The ceremony will conclude with a service and wreath-laying at the local cemetery.