Memorial Abbey of Keizersberg

In August 1914, the First World War broke out and the city of Leuven was occupied by the Germans.
In the first days of that occupation, the city paid a heavy toll. The German army command was convinced that its troops had been attacked by Leuven snipers and the consequences were particularly serious. Two thousand buildings in the city center were set on fire (including the University Library and the Stadsschouwburg) and several innocent civilians were shot.

The still young abbey on the Keizersberg did not escape the German occupier either.
Most of the Benedictine monks had left the building to continue their monastic life in Maria-Laach (Germany). Nevertheless, the Germans claimed that they were under fire from the abbey fence. On August 29, Oberleutnant Gustav Reinbrecht was ordered to search the abbey on the Keizersberg with his infantry regiment of 240 soldiers for the alleged militiamen and eventually set fire to the building.
Reinbrecht and his regiment went to the abbey but found no people or weapons there. He therefore decided to ignore the order and thus spared the abbey from the sea of ​​flames. It is a guess as to his exact motives. Perhaps he thought the order was unreasonable. Perhaps he made this choice because there was a strong link between the abbey and Germany: after all, part of the monks were German and the whole community was at that time in Maria-Laach in Germany.
That choice, however, cost him and his regiment dearly. Reinbrecht and his men were sent to the front in northern France (Valenciennes and Amiens). In the battle of 20 September 1914 in Noyons, 150 men were killed, including Reinbrecht himself.
In October 1914, the monks were allowed to return to the Keizersberg, but they had to share the abbey for a while with the Germans who continued to occupy part of the building.
Several monks played a role at the front (for example as a healer), but with one exception, all other abbey residents survived the First World War.

Gustav Reinbrecht's heroic deed was never forgotten. Every year, a small memorial service is held at the abbey to commemorate the benevolent Oberleutnant.
In August 2016, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in the presence of some family members:
" Reminder of
Oberleutnant Dr. GUSTAV REINBRECH
(Ückermünde in Pommern 13.4.1881 - Noyon 20.09.1914)
Kompanieführer 3.Komp.Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 53
***
who on 29.08.1914 did not carry out the express order to destroy the Benedictine abbey Keizersberg and was thus able to preserve this abbey.
He died 22 days later at the Aisne (F). "

Sources : Labora - series "in focus" Het Nieuwsblad

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Source

• Text: Marie-Christine Vinck
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck