Fleeing. Leaving your house and home behind overnight. It is a traumatic event that completely changes your life in an instant. That is how it was after 4 August 1914 when the First World War began for Belgium.
Monumental black and white photos followed the refugees on their way: from their flight from home, the first emergency aid and life in exile until they returned to a shattered country in 1918. The story got under your skin as you moved upwards on the MAS escalators; the story culminated with their return home.
The exhibition ‘Exodus. Fleeing the war’ commemorated the Great War
Antwerp commemorateed the First World War
Antwerp was the capital of Belgium for a short while in 1914. It was a last beacon of hope for a population that was fleeing and a country on a war footing. One hundred years later the Centre for Peace planned a commemoration programme with more than 50 partners. A unique and human story of refugees, art and a pontoon bridge over the Scheldt river.