Belgia / Historia

Retreating German troops blow up St Catherine's Church

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On 25 September 1944 the Allies crossed the Dessel-Turnhout-Schoten Canal just south of Rijkevorsel. The front line now runs straight through the northern part of the Kempen. From Hoogstraten and the surrounding villages German soldiers bombarded the advancing allies.

A lookout in the St Catherine tower

The German troops hold an important trump card in Hoogstraten: the 16th century Sint-Katharinakerk. From the 105-metre high tower they have a phenomenal view of the wide surroundings. On a clear day, they could see the movements of the Allied troops for miles around. They adjust their artillery on the basis of the observations from the tower.

British fighter planes and artillery regularly bombard the Sint-Katharinatoren. For the inhabitants of Hoogstraten these are anxious days. They take shelter in their cellars or in the Klein Seminarie, where a Red Cross post is also located.

Two tonnes of dynamite

The Germans, despite their strategic position, were unable to stop the Allied advance. They gave up Hoogstraten and retreated to the north. But before they leave the town, they light a fuse connected to two tons of dynamite in the church tower. The explosion is enormous and the collapsing tower destroys the nave of the church as it falls. The adjoining town hall is also largely destroyed.

On 23 October Hoogstraten is liberated from German occupation, but the town mourns the loss of its proud tower. The present St Catherine's Tower was built in the 1950s and is a faithful copy of the original.