New programme looks at diverse identities of First World War soldiers

Hundreds of primary school pupils from Brussels visited the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) yesterday to take part in a ceremony to honour the victims of the First World War. The event was meant to recognise the role of soldiers from regions where many of Brussels schoolkids also have roots.

The university, together with its French-speaking counterpart ULB and the Go! education network, simultaneously launched the new project Molem’back to the future. The event and the project – launched just ahead of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War – put the spotlight on soldiers from regions such as North and Central Africa, the Middle East and Asia who fought in the war.

According to the universities, these soldiers are often overlooked during memorials and commemorations of the Great War in Belgium. Many of these soldiers either came to western Europe or fought on front lines closer to home.

“For many children with an immigrant background, these stories are essential in understanding the role their own ancestors played in the First World War and to make this history their own,” said VUB in a statement.

Molem’back to the future will host activities addressing this history as well as provide educational materials to teachers. “Molem’back to the future commemorates the end of the First World War from a variety of angles and from a non-Belgian perspective,” explains VUB history professor Joost Vaesen.

“What did the residents of Molenbeek go through during the war, and what were the consequences of the war on them? How do we today address the same themes that they faced, such as war refugees? The goal of this programme is to not only illustrate this history but create connections between the past and the present.”