Necropolis

When Liège fell after the German Blitz-invasion of neighbouring Belgium, Sint-Magriete-Houtem (sometimes written as Sint-Magriet Houtem) was among the first battlefields. On August 18, 1914 the two enemiy armies met each other in this small sub-municipality of Tienen, resulting in a devastating victory of the German troops over the outnumbered Belgian forces.

The deads were buried at a dedicated war cemetery in Sint-Magriete-Houtem, at the municipal cemetery and 145 killed soldiers ended up in the Saint Peter’s Church (Sint-Pieterskerk) in de neighbouring  sub-municipality Grimde.

The Saint Peter’s Church has a long history: its origins go back to the 13th century but by 1850 the romanesque building fell in such dilapidated state that there were numerous calls for a complete demolition. These plans, however, met opposition and in 1880 they started building a new church that icoporated parts of the old building. The new neo-romanesque styled church, now Saint Peter and Paul’s Church (Sint-Pieter- en Pauluskerk) was designed by the Brussels architect Adolf Samyn.  

In the spring of 1915, on the initiative of Red Cross volunteer Léonard Reynaerts, 145 Belgian casualities of war were buried in the eathen floor of the church that was heavily damaged during the battle. The last interment took place on June 3, 1915. Later six of the bodies were reburied elsewhere, reducing the number of graves to 139. General Victor Giffens, who served in the Battle of  Sint-Magriete-Houtem as a colonel, was buried here at his own request after his passing in 1943. 

The church took another big blow in 1919 when a nearby ammuntion depot blew up. Between  1922 and 1928 the church was transformed into a full-blown war cemetery under guidance of the Brussels architect Leon Govaerts. The transformation included the installation of a triumphal cross, a death lantern and glass stained windows (designed by Maurice Langaskens) representing patriotic symbols and war themes such as Verheffing van de Held (Exaltation of the Hero), Vrede (Peace), Hoop (Hope), Herinnering (Remembrance), Voorvader (Ancestor) and Oude  Moeder (Old Mother).

The graves were all fitted with elegant white tombstones adorned with a Belgian helmet and an oak leaf with no distiction between common soldiers and military staff. The tombstones are so close together they appear to form a mass grave rather than individual graves. The new church was officlally opened on Sunday August, 19 1928.

In 2002 the building was classified as a protected building because of its historic and artistic value.