From the ground up

Imagine this: In 1 night, not only your house, but also those of the neighbors and of all the streets in your neighborhood burn to the ground. It happened to more than 1,000 Leuven families in August 1914. During this walk, you stand in the shoes of the owners. You experience Leuven's largest architectural and urban planning intervention from the front row. Should a resolutely modern approach have been chosen or was it best to restore as much as possible the earlier, pre-war situation? The answer to this question still determines the appearance of the town center today

And how was the war damage compensated? Where did the people of Leuven find building materials? Which architects drew the plans? Where did the inhabitants live while waiting for reconstruction? And how did they resume their daily lives in a devastated town?

🕑 120 minutes
📍 Grand Market, steps City Hall
🏁 Museum M