"The Historic Quatre-Bras Farm is going to be ..." Topic

…destroyed (again)

"I just heard from a journalist that the municipality of Genappe gave the OK for the destruction of the Quatre-Bras farm. I guess the new request was introduced very discreetly so that no-one could oppose to it.
It now must be approved by the Walloon region.
I suggestion we write to the Walloon Minister of Cultural Heritage…"
See here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Tango01

We should all do our best to help keep this piece of history from being destroyed. There's not many places left.

And it does not take up much time to post an email. I even managed to do mine in French.

Let's hope the pleas and protests work.

Only thing that matters in the EU is money

Agree with you my good friend.

Amicalement
Armand

This sort of thing happens in every country in the world, history is destroyed. It is very expensive to maintain our history and sometimes we have to let go. Our governments whether local, state or federal shouldn't allow the destruction of history just because of progress.

I hope they keep it, but at the same time, it wouldn't be the end of the world if they didn't. You can't preserve everything. With the Bossu wood already long gone, the battlefield has already lost an important part of its "character". At least the crossroads will always be there as a marker of where it was. I get the impression that if you preserved every battlefield in Belgium, nobody would ever be able to build anything anywhere.

(The McDonalds sign in the picture looks funny. I can imagine Wellington, on the evening of the 16th, saying "DeLancey, the troops have fought well. Send to the hostelry of Mr McDonald for Big Macs and fries for all the men. And send a Happy Meal to Marshal Ney…")

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The question is, did the Monsieur McDonald's purvey "chips," French fries, or Belgian fries to the Iron Duke?

Don't get your hopes up for QB, the Walloon government has invested a lot in the "main attraction" of the Waterloo site and so are not very interested in preserving the other less known sites of the period. QB has never really been a tourism hot spot and even for re enactors it was not an ideal place (partially because of the busy cross roads). Never the less we can indeed try to put some pressure on with a petition, you never know.

holdit

No, it would not be the end of the world. But it WOULD be the end of a piece of history. And no one is asking for all battlefields in Belgium to be preserved. It is a request for one barn. And the reason historical sites are deleted from the world is because people either don't hear about it until too late, or just feebly see it as the way of the world and don't attempt to do anything about it.

I've written my protest and I hope others attending this site also do the same. It may make no difference in the end but at least those who have made a protest can say they tried. And who knows, if there is a belief that no one is interested in this Napoleonic location, then perhaps it might have the affect of persuading the same people to start considering reducing the Waterloo battlefield and replacing parts with MacDonalds etc. I mean, why not, it wouldn't be the end of the world, would it?

And who knows, if there is a belief that no one is interested in this Napoleonic location, then perhaps it might have the affect of persuading the same people to start considering reducing the Waterloo battlefield and replacing parts with MacDonalds etc. I mean, why not, it wouldn't be the end of the world, would it?

Nice job misrepresenting what I said. Try reading my first five words again.

holdit

I misrepresented nothing. Your first five words were basically washed away by the next twenty.

In short, you basically threw away any belief of hope with a mass of negatives and then followed it with some silly McDonald's humour.

Sorry, but if those wanting to demolish the barn read your post they would think, no problem, no one cares, they're even making jokes about it.

Apologies if you think targeting you. I'm not, I just don't want to see another historical location disappear without a fight and I do hope you have sent a protest e.mail. You never know, it might just make a difference.

Your first five words were basically washed away by the next twenty.

Wrong. They were elaborated upon by the next twenty. Obviously they weren't what you wanted to hear, but don't presume to tell me what I'm thinking.

The humour was not intended to be connected to the point I was making…that's why it was in parentheses. As you your non-appreciation…given some good counselling I'm sure I'll get over it.

The information says it's too late to send an e-mail, but I have signed the petition.

I think that what I am about to say is referred to as "cursing in church", as we Dutch say ("Vloeken in de kerk").

Of course it is a shame that the farmbuilding is under notice of being levelled down. Yes, it is one of the buildings part and present in 1815.

However, over the past 15 years I have seen it gone down and and…. and more down in its structural integrity, as no one owned the building and/or took care of it. A few years ago it as already in such a sowrrow state, that one could and can call it a ruin beyond repair. So why preserve it?????

Better to build new buildings here, with a frontage that looks like the old building (as an architect once proposed), and let life get on.

And don't forget! It isn't the only building left from 1815. There are many more still on the site, in full and working order.

Are there? Now that is interesting…this from an obvious expert.

I have visited QB only once and found it baffling and gave up. With the Wood gone, the lake unrecognisable……..I had no idea what I was seeing.

May I ask what remains from 1815 at the crossroads?

Adkin does give some clues, as does Mike Robinson, but the buildings seem… well,transformed…..at best.

What is worth seeing at QB?????? I ask because I suspect I am missing much, not because I devalue it.

Why do Belgians not value their history? I know the answer…as I have asked kids, a third of my age who have no interest…and my peers who remember their parents telling them that Belgium is nothing but a route for armies to pass between Germany and France…and God help the folk in the way………

holdit

Sorry, but I'm not going to get into a tit for tat situation over such an important topic.

Well done for your efforts of support anyway.

EMuilwijk

Very interesting post. I was not aware it was beyond repair or renovating. Is it that bad?

Other buildings in the area is also very interesting. Do you know what state they are in and if we should be considering supporting their survival or renovating instead?

Er…delighted to hear it.

Apparently, according to another website discussing the same topic, the owner of the place may have deliberately let it fall into such a state, so he could use it as an excuse to get it demolished. The owner could have kept it in better condition, which further suggests the owner did not want to spend money and would rather make money selling the land or whatever.

Another important point is that it is the only building left of the hamlet of Quatre Bras, which means it is important and it does not matter how many other buildings still exist.

True, it is the only building left at the Crossroads.

Others that still survive: Laraille farm, Gémioncourt farm, Petit and Grand Pierrepont farms (latter is now housing a golfcourt) and some buildings in the Hamlet Pireaumont.

Erwin is right in claimed the building MIGHT be beyond repair. I passed by there not so many months ago, it is in a really horrible state, preservation would surely not be enough, some serious restoration work (as at Hougoumont) should be needed, who will foot that bill?