July 2025's compilation of data or records
In the summer of 1920, a poignant and solemn event took place in the city of Aachen, Germany. The repatriation of five men, executed during World War I, was a tribute to their lives and a testament to their status as "martyrs."
These five men, Belgian citizens except for one Dutch, were arrested by German soldiers in August 1914, accused of firing shots at their comrades. A military court in Aachen sentenced them to death, and on August 11, 1914, they lost their lives.
The victims were identified as Guillaume Fafra (gamekeeper), his son Henri Fafra (gunsmith), Jean Trinon (merchant and sexton), Guilleaume Ackens (worker), and Joseph Monix (whose profession is unknown). Their tragic end occurred near the Meuse river, where the villagers of Berneau, Belgium, allegedly retaliated against German soldiers, resulting in the deaths of ten civilians, including Mayor Walthere Bruyere, and the destruction of 67 houses.
The repatriation was a significant event in Aachen, designed to honour the men as "martyrs" and return them respectfully to their homeland, while also making the victims visible to the Aachener population. The procession, which included Belgian soldiers, three bishops, and flower-adorned wagons carrying the remains of the five men, passed through the city, including the city theater, and ended at the cathedral where a high mass was held.
The German invasion of neutral Belgium, which began on August 4th, 1914, was a violation of international law. Repeated war crimes against Belgian civilians occurred in the early months of the war, often justified by alleged acts of resistance or fear of so-called francs-tireurs.
Public statements at the time condemned the executions as war crimes, and the names of the five men, along with the two widows, are inscribed on the war memorial and the grave monument near the church in Richelle. The Belgian flag continues to fly over the grave.
Interestingly, the Aachen City Archives regularly displays pieces from its collections as the "Archive Piece of the Month." In July 2025, a photograph from July 20, 1920, showing the repatriation procession will be the Archive Piece of the Month.
Despite extensive research, specific details about this particular event remain elusive. While historical knowledge indicates numerous instances of civilian executions and reprisals by German forces in occupied Belgium and parts of the Netherlands, no widely documented or specific case matches exactly the description of five Belgian and Dutch civilians executed in Aachen in 1914 and subsequently honoured by a grand procession.
This underscores the importance of continued research and the preservation of historical records, as they serve as a reminder of the past and help us to understand the events that shaped our world.
- The grand repatriation procession in Aachen, Germany, in the summer of 1920, was a significant event in the realm of general news, politics, war-and-conflicts, and even archival history, as it honored five executed civilians from Belgium and one from the Netherlands, symbolizing a tribute to their lives and a testament to their status as martyrs.
- The repatriation procession, including Belgian soldiers, three bishops, and flower-adorned wagons carrying the remains of the victims, passed through the city, highlighting the event's political impact and potential role in shaping public opinion about the war-and-conflicts, and serving as a poignant reminder of the ongoing call for continued research and preservation of historical records for greater understanding of the past and the events that shaped our world.
