The grant covers 60 percent of the estimated costs and will be used to address the stone base, the bronze statue, and the bronze reliefs.
The monument, a work by the renowned Zele sculptor Aloïs De Beule (1861-1935), commemorates the fallen soldiers and civilian victims of World War I and World War II. Its symbolism and expressive imagery are characteristic of his work. The monument has been protected since 2011 due to its artistic, historical, and socio-cultural value.
The restoration will not be completed by the commemoration on November 11, as the heritage grant approval came too late. However, a first result is already visible: the letters on the monument have been recolored, making the victims' names clearly legible again.
