On Wednesday I visited the Achel Abbey in Belgium. This Abbey is mostly known for its brewery and great Trappist beers, but also has an interesting history. Its location, right next to the Dutch-Belgian border, played an important role in this.

The presence of religious activity in this site dates to 1648 when the treaty of Munster was signed between the Dutch Republic and Spanish Empire. It resulted in the official independence of the Dutch (protestant) republic which banned Catholic masses. Therefore, Catholics in the south of the Netherlands built chapels just over the border such as in Achel to observe their faith.

In 1686 a group of hermits settled down in the same spot and founded a monastery. They worked hard and led a secluded life dedicated to God. This ended abruptly in 1798 when the French revolutionary army expelled them.

In the 19th century new monks from another abbey moved into the abandoned buildings. They founded a new abbey, started developing the lands and added buildings on both sides of the border. The monks also started brewing their famous beer.

In 1914 World War I broke out which had a big impact on the peaceful religious community. For two months the abbey remained unoccupied while a local militia fought a small guerrilla war against the German forces and used the abbey as headquarters and fort. The monks fled to the Netherlands while the militia made its final stand at the abbey. They were outnumbered 10 to 1 and also fled to the Netherlands which remained neutral in the war.

Because of this neutrality the Germans built an electric fence on the Dutch-Belgian border. (Picture 3) This prevented smuggling, cross border resistance and stopped people from fleeing. It was nicknamed the ‘wire of the death’ by the local population because of its lethal voltage. The Germans demolished some of the buildings to construct the wire and also plundered the abbey for valuable materials such as copper from the brewery.

The monastery never fully recovered after WW1 but started brewing again in 1998 with help from other Trappist breweries. The Abbey now serves as a popular tourist destination with its shop and restaurant. 

Originally posted on Instagram on July 16, 2022