A German communications bunker in Roeselare (West Flanders) has been restored to its former glory. Restoring the bunker to mint condition required two years of hard slog but now the edifice is ready to accommodate a permanent exhibition on the Liberation of Roeselare and the role played by the 1st Armoured.
The bunker is an unusual sight. It’s located in the Krottegem neighbourhood of the town and stands cheek by jowl with residential properties. During the Second World War the bunker was a hive of activity. Here German commanders provided instructions for their troops, but after the conflict, as peace returned, the construction stood idle.
A permanent exhibition opens in the bunker this September as Roeselare marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the town by General Maczek’s Polish 1st Armoured division. The exhibition will tell the story of the bunker itself, the liberation of the town as well as the liberation of northern Belgium.
The exhibition will shed light on the figure of General Maczek but also on Simonne Brugghe, a local girl guide, who assisted the general. It will also illustrate the fate of Polish soldiers after the guns fell silent as well as the Armoured division’s route across the continent of Europe.