Major support for world heritage bid for First World War sites

In 2014, minister-president Geert Bourgeois, whose portfolio also includes heritage affairs, drew up a list of candidate sites, mainly military cemeteries and monuments. All are already listed as monuments under Belgian law and form part of a joint French-Belgian submission for recognition as world heritage to be handed in to Unesco, the United Nations educational and cultural organisation, in 2017.

The list was circulated to a variety of bodies – not only those who own and manage the sites but also organisations such as the farmers’ union Boerenbond, Flemish chamber of commerce Voka, Unizo, which represents the self-employed, and Natuurpunt.

The list also has international partners: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the French defence ministry, the German War Graves Commission and the Institute for Veterans and War Invalids.

The signing ceremony took place this week in the new Westfront visitor centre in Nieuwpoort. “This covenant will create the ideal circumstances to work on the nomination dossier, but we will also be paying attention to the upkeep of heritage sites and the sustainable development of the region,” Bourgeois said.

The sites include the monument to the missing in Nieuwpoort and the Menin Gate in Ypres; German military cemetery Vladslo (pictured) in Diksmuide; the Canadian Brooding Soldier monument in Langemark; the French military cemetery in Kemmelberg; and Commonwealth military cemeteries, including Tyne Cot.

Photo courtesy Onroerend Erfgoed