Traces of the army and conquest in Etterbeek

Join us on a walk through Etterbeek and the surrounding area, where architecture and heritage confront us with a layered history of the army, war, and colonial expansion. References to military presence, colonial conquests, and the two World Wars constantly pop up in the streetscape. This tour invites you to take a different look at seemingly familiar places and discover how history is reflected in buildings, squares, and street names.

In the 19th century, a dozen barracks, military domains, and hospitals were built in and around Etterbeek. Many of them disappeared or were given a new function, but their traces are still visible in the city. Between the two World Wars, construction grew rapidly, and this is still reflected in the street names today: almost a quarter of the 170 streets in Etterbeek refer to 'the Great War', other wars or colonial campaigns. Names of soldiers, battlefields, forts, and colonial figures raise questions about memory, power, and responsibility. This walk puts that heritage in context and opens up the conversation about decolonization and how we deal with this fraught past.