War Memorial Lede

The war memorial on the market square in Lede commemorates the military and civilian victims of the First and Second World War.

The original monument was sculpted by Aloïs De Beule and was inaugurated on May 8, 1921. The lion and the eagle were cut down by order of the German occupiers in May 1940.
Over the years there was decay due to concrete rot and crumbling and the monument was forced to be removed.
Sculptor Leendert Van Accoleyen made a faithful copy of the 1921 statue in polyester concrete.
The image shows a soldier with a rifle in one hand and a flag in the other hand. In addition, a Belgian lion that holds the German eagle under its talons.
The replica was placed on the plinth in December 2020.

Pedestal: at the top, divided over the 4 sides, is the sentence:
"To our heroes / who by their own strength / from Liège to Yzer / broke
svyand's power"

Front: "Falled on the field of honor" – 15 names
"In memory of the victims of war 1940-1945"
Municipality of Lede
Memorial plaque for the deported and the work refusers
More than 180,000 compatriots were deported
4000 never returned
Never let this happen again!!! "

Left : " Claimed died in custody " – 4 names
" Killed civilians " – 4 names
" Civilians died for war crimes " – 10 names

Right : 21 names of the fallen of the First World War
Fallen 40-45 : 9 names

At the back : " Died here claimed " - 12 names
"Died captivity, civilian casualty, killed in Korea" –
3 names
"Tribute to Pioneer African Civilization Work" - 1 name

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Source

• Text: Marie-Christine Vinck & Luc Van Waeyenberge
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck (1), Luc van Waeyenberge (2, 3, 4, 5)