Sunday, September 14, 2014

What is Left of the University at Louvain -- September 14, 2014


100 years ago the German Army, in the process of violating the neutrality of Belgium, burned much of the city of Louvain (Leuven), including the university's renowned library.  The Germans made crazy claims that the son of the burgomaster had shot a German officer, but that did not happen.  The Germans did execute civilians and burn much of the town. 

In this photo from the 16-September-1914 Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, we see "What is left of the university at Louvain.  The huge 45-centimetre Krupp guns used by the Germans in their mad rush toward Paris played havoc with the historic buildings in the Belgian cities." 

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. 

Read about the burning of Louvain:
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-burning-of-louvain-august-25-2014.html

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