QUATRE-BRAS FARM : THE THREAT HAS PASSED... FOR NOW

Update 23/05/11

A very good article :                                        SAUVONS LA FERME DES QUATRE-BRAS

27/04/11

The "Collège communal" of Genappe has given a negative advice, even if they agree with the principle of the building of a home for the elderly at that place.  The negative advice is, among other things, motivated by an absence of guarantee on the future use of the place and by the negative advice of the fire department.

The governement official of the Walloon Region, in charge of this matter, has rejected the request.

We are very glad that he mentioned,

"Considérant que le bien est repris à l'inventaire du "Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique".

"Considering the fact that the good is mentioned in the inventory of the "Monumental heritage of Belgium"

However, this doesn't mean that the farm has been saved, because we suppose another request will be introduced.  To be continued...

Thank you for your support.

 18/02/11 : an exemple of lettre in French you can use , mentioning of course your name and address BEFORE 22 FEBRUARY 2011.

Don't forget to mention name, address and phone number, and also "Fait à... " "Done at"+ the place where you are and the date.

I've just heard that and they seem to refuse without that !

15/02/11

Dear Friends of History

Already in September 2008, we appealed to many of you in order to save the historic Quatre-Bras farm, maybe the last witness of the famous battle of 16 June 1815 (two day before Waterloo), from destruction. It is located at the crossroads of the roads from Namur to Nivelles and from Brussels to Charleroi, and also served as a hospital after the battle.

Our appeal met a great success and thanks to your massive response, the project was rejected and the authorization to destroy the historic farm turned down.

Now, two years later, the owner, a property developer, has introduced a new request to destroy the farm buildings in order to build new houses and offices.

Again, we have to stand up against this project and express our disapproval of it. We already had some important support from the French side, but we desperately need British and Dutch (and other) support too!  If some British and Dutch (Napoleonic or military) associations and museums would care to send a letter to the "Administration communale" of both towns, we are sure this could have some impact!

The farm being located at the border of two districts, the e-mails and/or letters of rejection have to be addressed to both municipalities:

- at Genappe:     by e-mail at: info@genappe.be

          and/or by mail at: 

                                            Au Collège Communal,

                                            Espace 2000, 3,

                                            B-1470 Genappe

                                            Belgium

 
- at Villers-la-Ville : by e-mail at olivier.vantielen@publilink.be and valerie.damanet@publilink.be, the two local officials in charge of the town planning at Villers-la-Ville. (If one of these addresses gives an error message, please try again, their mailbox has already been saturated once.)

                                                 BEFORE 22 FEBRUARY 2011 (after that date, it's too late).

Don't forget to mention your complete name and address. This is compulsory for your request to be accepted.

You can write in English or get some inspiration here, from our press release in French:

http://napoleon-monuments.eu/MONUMENTSENPERIL/20110210CommuniqueQuatre-Bras.doc

Only a few weeks after the theft of the Christ at the Hougoumont farm and of the commemorative stone on the south wall of the Quatre-Bras farm, we can not allow the new act of - what some of you very eloquently called – " historical barbarism" to happen.
 

Thank you to inform us of any action or letter at dominique.timmermans@skynet.be, so that I can keep you informed of any development.

Many thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely.

Dominique Timmermans
Maj (R)
(Coverage in the Belgian press on our page in French: http://napoleon-monuments.eu/MONUMENTSENPERIL/Belgique.htm)

Update: 01/02/11

This commemorative stone on the southern wall has recently been stolen.  The stone has been very "carefully" cut out and taken away. The theft probably took place around mid-December and a car with Dutch licence plate has been seen by witnesses.  Moreover, a part of the roof was blown away and water infiltrations get worse.  A request by the burgomaster to cover the roof with a canvas sheet remained had no effect.

Before:                                                                                                                                                                                            Now :

18/09/08

Dear Friends,

First of all, many thanks !

Your reactions exceeded all our hopes! 

Many Napoleonic associations and many personalities answered our call and indicated their concern for this historic building towards the local authorities.

I mention, more of less in chronological order :

- the A.C.M.N. (Association for the preservation of Napoleonic monuments) (through the President, Mr Robert Chénier, and many membres, among whom the webmaster of the website, who started this action)
- the Souvenir Napoléonien (through the President, Mr Ronald Zins)
- the Amis de Ligny (through the President, Colonel e.r. Pierre COUVREUR, and the Secretary general)
- the Amis de l'Empéri (through the President)
- the City of Fleurus
- the 'Associazione Napoleonica Italiana (to be confirmed)
- the A.P.N. (Friends of the Napoleonic Heritage)(through the President and the Secretary general)
- the Mexico-France Napoleonic Institute - Instituto Napoleónico México-Francia INMF - Asociación Histórica y Cultural (through the President Mr Eduardo Garzon-Sobrado).
- the International Napoleonic Society (INS) (through the President, the late Mr Ben Weider and the official delegate for France, Mr Jean-Claude Damamme)
and last but not least Lieutenant General Sir Peter Graham, KCB CBE, last Colonel The Gordon Highlanders.

We also received many reactions and letters of support from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Great-Britain, Switzerland, Spain, Germany and even Canada and Mexico !
 

07/11/08
What's the current situation ?

The Mayor and his deputies, as well as the local government technical official and the representative of the Ministry of the Walloon Region have rejected the request for destruction as brought in by the property developer.

Please find underneath the e-mail which has just been sent by the local council of Genappe.

So this is an important positive point.  We have won the first battle, but the war is far from over. We must stay alert and remain mobilised, because the property developer will surely bring in a new projet. 

If you haven't done yet, you can still ask to be directly informed by giving your name, first name, address and e-mail address to the administration of Genappe, at following e-mail address info@genappe.be , asking to be informed of the evolution of the project.

The more people write, the more they’ll feel the importance of the matter.

 I’ll try to pass there to have a look and see what is displayed.

Of course, we shall keep you informed of any development. Please let us know if your association or yourself do something. Thanks in advance.

Many thanks to Mr Yves Moerman, Eduardo Garzon-Sobrado, Robert Chénier and Bas de Groot for the information and the support they gave us.

Any question or information may be passed on to : dominique.timmermans[a]skynet.be .

You can discuss the matter here : http://www.napoleon-series.org/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=96815

07/09/2008

Dear Friends,

Another witness of the Napoleonic era is about to disappear.  I just heard that a request had been brought in for an authorisation to demolish the famous Quatre-Bras farm, at the crossroads of the roads from Namur to Nivelles and from Brussels to Charleroi, one of the last witnesses of the famous battle on the 16th of June 1815.

 Here is a picture of the advertisement.

It is not too late to intervene, but it is time, and well worth trying.

If some British Napoleonic association would care to send a lettre to the Communal Administration of Genappe, we are sure this could have some impact !

Send your remarks/questions/disapproval to the :

Collège communal,

Espace 2000 n° 3

1470 Genappe

Thank you to inform us of any action or letter at dominique.timmermans[a]skynet.be.

You can find the exact spot on GoogleEarth by looking for 50°34' 17.53 N et 4° 27'13.72 E.

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