Aalst City Park 1915 - 1916

The Stadspark van Aalst, also known as the Groot Park or Park Schepen de Wolf, is a beautiful park located southeast of the city center of Aalst. The park covers an area of approximately 15 hectares.
The history of the park begins in the period around the First World War. In 1910-1911, the Osbroek was purchased by alderman of finance Moyersoen for public use. Under the policy of alderman of public works Désiré De Wolf, the park was laid out between 1915 and 1916 by landscape architect Louis-Julien Breydel. The park was specially designed to provide work for the residents of Aalst and to remove them from the war conditions.
The park consists of several water features, including the Ballonvijver and the Spiegelvijver, surrounded by lawns and groups of tall trees. There are also several walking paths and playgrounds, and some of the original structures, such as the garden, card and milk house, are still present. The park has also been a protected cultural-historical landscape since 1977.

During the German occupation, 1914 - 1918, the construction of the park provided an income to numerous families of unemployed Aalst residents...

The city park was constructed during wartime. The occupation is the biggest factor
part of the trade and industry is at a standstill. The city has many unemployed people, but thanks to...
The sagacity of Aldermen Moyersoen and De Wolf can benefit many of them
get back to work quickly. To give the men work and the local contractors
To encourage this, the city council is starting the construction of it
park. In September 1915 there were 650 workers and 15 supervisors at work. To
to dig the ponds and create the lawns will not be less than 20,000 m3
earth moves. The workers plant thousands of trees and shrubs in the ponds
carp and trout are stocked. What about the starving population, of course
makes you salivate. Shortly after the opening in 1916, they disappeared on a large scale
fish from the ponds!