War after war: The Belgian occupation of the left bank of the Rhine (1918-1930).
CegeSoma Public History Meeting (2024-8).
Conference-debate (in French) with guest Anne Godfroid.
A talk led by Sophie de Schaepdrijver.
In the aftermath of World War I, Belgium took on the role of occupier. In December 1918, its troops crossed the German border and settled on the left bank of the Rhine, from Cleves to Aachen. They remained there for over ten years. This experience of reverse occupation, hitherto obscured from the collective memory and studied from specific angles, is now the subject of a global approach combining political as well as military, social and cultural dimensions.
The result of meticulous research in Belgian and foreign archives, 'La guerre après la guerre: L'occupation belge de la rive gauche du Rhin (1918-1930)' looks back at a plural and complex cohabitation between Belgians and Germans. The story focuses on the strategies of power, resistance and rapprochement implemented. The often discordant voices of civilians and soldiers are heard, giving a voice to the young and the old. Against a backdrop of changing attitudes in Belgium and occupied Germany in the decade following the end of the Great War.
On Wednesday 11 December, CegeSoma and its non-profit organization 'Les Amis du CegeSoma' invite you to a conference-debate with Anne Godfroid as part of CegeSoma's Public History Meetings. The author will be in conversation with Sophie de Schaepdrijver. Together, they will look back at this forgotten occupation.
Everyone welcome!
Anne Godfroid has a PhD in Contemporary History (ULB) and in Social and Military Sciences (ERM). Her dissertation was awarded the de Greef Foundation Prize in Military History. She works at the Royal Military Museum (Brussels), where she successively curated exhibitions and managed collections. Her publications include works on military justice and violence against women in wartime.
Sophie De Schaepdrijver is Professor of Contemporary European History at Pennsylvania State University (USA). She specializes in the social and cultural history of World War I. Her latest work is a biography and memorial study on spy Gabrielle Petit. She is currently working on a collective project on occupation regimes and experiences of occupation in Europe in 14-18.