Grimde Necropolis

**Here’s one of the very few churches in Europe to have been converted into a cemetery. Visit the place where 145 Belgian soldiers who fought in WWI are buried. **

The three-aisled St. Peter’s church in Tienen dates back to the 13th century, with its two transept arms dating back to the 15th century. For many years, this was a popular religious site for the residents of Tienen.

While this alone makes this Romanesque-style church well-worth a visit, don’t expect to visit the building to attend mass. Since 1915, St. Peter’s Church is in fact home to the graves of about 145 Belgian soldiers.

The church had fallen into disuse by the 1850s, with some arguing it needed to be demolished. During WWI, however, the disused church became the perfect place to give a proper burial to the young soldiers who had died for their Fatherland.

• Years in the making: the first burials happened in the spring of 1915, under the leadership of Red Cross volunteer Léonard Reynaerts. But major renovations were still needed, so the dead were simply buried in the dirt floor. Over the next few years, the church and cemetery were thoroughly restored: don’t miss the sculptures and bronze doors by Belgian artists.
• All the soldiers buried here died on August 18, 1914, during the fighting in Grimde and Sint-Margriete-Houtem, while trying to stop the German advance.
• The white tombstones are deliberately sober and placed next to each other to give the impression of “one common grave”. Moreover, they’re identical: no matter the rank or status of the soldier buried, each tombstone is only decorated with a Belgian helmet and an oak leaf, a sign of courage and wisdom. This is meant to emphasize the concept of equality before death.
• Well-kept history: the Grimde Necropolis is part of the European Interreg project “Relaxation tourism”: in 2014, the city of Tienen reached an agreement with Tourism Flemish Brabant to completely restore the site. Among the many improvements, the roof was repaired and accessibility to the site was improved.