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The Hostages

Raemaekers, Louis, 1916, Chromolithograph
The Hostages
The Hostages
The Hostages
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Category
Library Item
Item no
32957
Title
The Hostages
Description
"Father, what have we done?"

"The Aerschot Massacre, 20 August 1914. Testimony of M. De Preter, Clerk to the Justice of the Peace:

At dawn the mayor, who, together with his son and brother, was also bound, was questioned. The officer seemed to listen willingly to the testimony of the mayor and then went away. Half an hour afterwards another officer came along, who called out: ' The mayor, his brother and his son must be shot through the head.' We were then placed in rows of three. One victim out of each row was chosen to be shot. We were then ordered to turn our backs toward these unhappy people and a quarter of an hour later we heard several shots fired. Vengeance was carried out."
Artist / maker
Date
1916
Size
34.5 x 25.8 cm
Location
Art and Design Library
Copyright
Louis Raemaekaers' drawings are reproduced by kind permission of the Louis Raemaekers Foundation.