Click to jump to:
“The Reconstruction of Ypres” is a fascinating book that also describes a history walk from the Cloth Hall to the Menin Gate
During the First World War the old medieval town of Ypres was the centre of one of the most notorious battlefields the world has ever experienced: the Ypres Salient. In the four years of the war, the entire town centre was virtually totally destroyed. By the time the war ended, a person on horseback could look right across the town. Not surprisingly, it was deserted: the whole population had fled or had been forcibly evacuated.
Yet just ten years after the Armistice, Ypres looked like the town had never experienced a war. Almost all the destroyed buildings had been rebuilt. Today, Ypres is generally considered one of the best examples of post-conflict reconstruction.
THE BOOK: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF YPRES
Dominiek Dendooven and Jan Dewilde – who work for the Ypres’ museum services – have written a fascinating book describing this incredible rebuilding of Ypres. But it’s no dry history book. They have created a 2-hour walk around the centre of Ypres. It takes you to 40 examples of Ypres’ post-war architecture.
Below is a map of their walking route. You can download it as a PDF to print and carry around with you. You can also get the GPX route from my RouteYou page. But to optimally experience the walk, you should buy the book and use it as a guide. Purchasing details are at the end of this post.

However, the publisher kindly agreed to let me reprint some of the photos from the book.
YPRES BEFORE 1914
The book sets the scene, describing the thriving market town of Ypres. It had a military riding academy and infantry barracks. Its centre was home to a number of affluent and influential residents. Around its outskirts were magnificent villas.

The town’s wealth was built on the production of flax, lace, cotton and soap. Ypres attracted many tourists, particularly to the Cloth Hall, the largest non-religious gothic building in Europe. This memorial to the town’s medieval hey-day had survived centuries of periodic siege and war. It contained beautiful frescoes that portrayed the town’s grand past.

YPRES DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
The war arrived in Belgium on 4 August 1914. Ypres’ first experience of it was on 7 October when the town was plundered by a German cavalry division. (They left with 8,000 loaves of bread!). The First Battle of Ypres broke out two weeks later. The most famous monuments of the town – the Cloth Hall and St Martin’s Church – were soon ablaze. Over the following four years, the entire town was destroyed.

At its peak, up to 20 shells were falling on the town every minute. During the four years of the war, the front line was located just 11 kilometres away from the town centre at best, and a mere 1.5 kilometres away at worst.



RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS
The authors then describe the various scenarios for the reconstruction of the town. The British Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill, wanted to preserve Ypres as “holy ground”: a symbol of the war and British sacrifice. But city architect Jules Coolmans had other plans. He intended to completely rebuild the town, retaining a “Flemish, medieval and renaissance” appearance. The local Mayor sided with Coolmans, and plans began to be put into action.
As I mentioned, the book describes – and takes you there if you follow the walk – 40 examples of reconstructed buildings. Here I’ll share just five or six.
THE MEAT HALL
The lower floor of the Great Meat Hall was built in the second half of the 13th century from natural stone. The upper floor in brick dates from 1529. In the early months of the First World War, the building was razed to the ground.

In 1923 it was extremely precisely reconstructed, even using the same types of wood.


MINNEPLEIN
While the reconstruction was ongoing, huge numbers of temporary houses needed to be built. Until the First World War, the Minneplein was a large, attractive grassed square.

After the Armistice, the area was soon filled with emergency dwellings. For several years, the real Ypres was to be found here. Among the hundreds of huts could be found the Town Hall, the St Martin’s church, the state police barracks, and two schools.


THE “LITTLE HUT”
One house you have to visit is in an un-named street (between Slachthuisstraat 18 and 22). It’s an exceptional witness to the solution of the housing shortage after the First World War: an authentic emergency dwelling. In contrast to the wooden huts on the Minneplein, this is a wooden structural skeleton with brick walls. It dates back to 1919! Since then it’s been modified and plastered many times.

HOSPITAL / COURT OF JUSTICE


The beautiful Our Lady’s Hospital with its French style architecture was, however, not reconstructed. It was not considered appropriate to have a hospital in the very centre of the town, for reasons of hygiene. In its place, a new Court of Justice was constructed.

ST. MICHAEL’S SCHOOL
Amazingly, the new St. Michael’s school was already finished by April 1921.

St Michael’s school was built with stones recuperated from the ruins of St. Martin’s Church
THE MENIN GATE
The Menin Gate is one of the most famous war memorials in the world. In the book its design and construction is covered. However, completely independently of my research into this post, I have received a number of outstanding original photographs of the construction of the Menin Gate. So I will be devoting a separate post to this subject shortly.
YPRES 2020
If you’ve got this far, one question on your mind is probably “What does Ypres look like today?” To answer this question I contacted blogger and photographer Stefaan who lives in West Flanders. He posts his photos on his wonderfully named blog Ostendnomadography and his Instagram page. I asked him if he had any contemporary photos of Ypres, and he said he was planning to go there for a photo shoot. He went yesterday and gave me permission to reproduce some of his lovely photos of modern-day Ypres. Thanks Stefaan!







OTHER TOPICS IN THE BOOK
The book is a treasure chest of information. It covers much more than the 40 pre/post-war buildings. I also enjoyed reading the following:
- Biographies of the prominent people of the time: architects Jules Coomans, Raphaël Speybrouck and Pierre Verbruggen, local personality Edouard Froidure, the aristocractic Tack family.
- Historical descriptions of the beguinage, the town’s ramparts, the theatre, the Grand Bazar.
- The negotiations to build an Anglican church in Ypres.
- Profile of the architect of the Menin Gate, Sir Reginald Blomfield.
- The “Ypres Fury” when the unveiling of a war monument in 1926 led to demonstrations
- The rise of “Battlefield Tourism”.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK
The Reconstruction of Ypres by Dominiek Dendooven and Jan Dewilde (ISBN 9781913491048) is published by Unicorn Publishing in the UK. It is available for purchase on Amazon, Bol.com or Belgian bookshops such as Standaard Boekhandel. The book is also available in Dutch: De Wederopbouw in Ieper (ISBN 9781913491314).
I hope you enjoy both the book and the walk. If you want to receive my forthcoming post on The Construction of the Menin Gate – and other new posts – directly into your inbox, add your email below:
And if you have found this post useful and you would like to support Discovering Belgium with a small donation, feel free to buy me a cup of coffee. You’ll get a free book in return! Thank you. Denzil
Thanks Jacques, I’ll add these to the list above.
Almost struck dumb by this post, Denzil. The level of destruction beggars belief, and the concept of the book is wonderful. Many thanks for sharing. 🙂 🙂
Amazing isn’t it Jo! Especially the speed of reconstructing a whole town in ten years or so, and without the technologies, mechanization and transportation capabilities we have today.
oh this is fabulous . . . Ypres is somewhere I definitely want to go back to. Thought it an extraordinary place, and this book will make that return visit extra special. Thank you so much for the review. Will be ordering my copy!
Thanks Becky. The Last Post is still going ahead, with COVID restrictions. But I guess they are not getting many international visitors at the moment.
Really hope the world gets its act together soon.
I have yet to go to Ypres in my life 😮
You would love it, and would write up an excellent article on it, I’m sure!
Hahaha. Corona is here to stay so I’ll do more regional excursions.
Great post Denzil, I’ve been to Ypres and it is indeed beautiful.
Thanks and I agree. You’d get through some rolls of “film” there, I’m sure!
Just delightful! Reconstructing such beauty in only 10 years is just amazing.
Yes, and with so much more manual labor than these days.
An absolutely astonishing feat.
A couple of years ago, I visited the 1905 Martin House, one of the best known of Frank Loyd Wright’s houses. The state had just finished a restoration, costing $52 million. When you think about reconstructing an entire medieval city, The cost would almost be unimaginable nowadays. as would finding the stonecutters, etc. Amazing.
I agree Robert. Currently Belgium is without a proper government, and has been for nearly two years now. 100 years ago they rebuilt a city in 10 years, and now they can’t form a government in two years. Perhaps we should take the politicians’ salaries away and see how quickly they can get something done! After all, in Ypres they had nowhere to live …
Wow, I knew about the gov’t stalemate, but hadn’t realized that was still going on! maybe Belgium and the US should form a League of Dysfunctional Politicians (but who would we ever get to organize this!)
Wonderful post, Denzil. The photography is superb. Think I’ll schedule to reblog this on Veteran’s Day. You’ve provided a post for what will now be the third year in a row.
It would be an honor Pat.
Wonderful article Denzil. It was a pleasure to walk this tour and learning more about a town in my region. West Flanders has much more to offer than Bruges and (my hometown) Oostende… . Towns like Veurne and Ypres, their architecture /history is just amazing. I am glad that I could help you out with some pictures and spend a nice day out in Ypres. Cheers Stef
Well thanks for your excellent photos Stefaan, which really add to the story. Looking forward to future collaboration!
An amazing testimony of what we humans can achieve with determination, hard work, and collective action!
Indeed Rosaliene, which makes the times we don’t work together even more frustrating.
Fascinating post Denzil. I’ve long been amazed by the precise reconstruction of so many treasured structures across Western Europe. War is horrible, but the human spirit seems to always find a way to endure.
Thanks Henry. I keep thinking of you when I see the rising number of COVID infections in your country. Hope you are keeping well. And still talking with the folk downstairs! 🙂
I’m okay, Thanks for your concern, Denzil. All the best to you and family. 🙂
Such an interesting and informative post, I love the modern day photos 🙂
Thanks Eunice, glad you enjoyed the post.
Thanks Eunice, yes, Stefaaan did a great job.
I’ve heard of Ypres of course, but don’t know anything about it in detail, so it was fascinating to read more and to see those photos. It looks like a beautiful place to visit even without the wealth of history there.
Yes it’s one of those places you would want to stay a little longer in.
When we sat in the town square in Ypres, we just couldn’t imagine that the beautiful buildings hadn’t been standing there for centuries. The restoration was amazing. Ypres is such a lovely city.
Yes if you didn’t know, you’d think they were centuries old.
Pingback: Reblog: Reconstruction of Ypres – e-Quips
Thank you for the fine, mind=blogging, post
L’Oncle de ma mère, parait il, s’est battu a une de ces grande bataille de 1914 18 , Émérilde Comeau il est revenu en Gaspésie et a fondé famille,
Merci pour ton commentaire et tes souvenirs Mario
Hi Denzil,
I have just been sent your link by very goods friends,who live locally and with whom we have spent many happy times exploring Ypres and the lovely countryside.
Your book must have been a labour of love and is a fitting tribute to the town planners,architects and especially the local craftsmen who have done a brilliant job in restoring the glory of Ypres.
My great uncle,David Warden,is buried in Tyne Cot and we have visited his named headstone many times.
Our favourite time is early evening when most of the day visitors have departed and we can “hear”the history in empty streets. .
We eagerly look forward to returning in August.
Thank you.
Jim walker.
Thank you James for sharing your very personal experiences of visiting your great uncle’s grave in Tyne Cot. It must have been a moving experience for you. I hope you will be able to return to the area later this year. Best wishes to you.