A memorial for the victims of the Brabant Killers will be unveiled next Wednesday, near the Delhaize supermarket in Aalst, East Flanders.
The Belgian supermarket chain, Delhaize, will soon erect a memorial dedicated to the victims at the Aalst Delhaize committed by the so-called Brabant Killers in 1985. The site, honouring the eight victims of the tragedy, is expected to be completed before the end of this year.
The city of Aalst was marked by the Brabant Killers’ fatal attack on the Delhaize supermarket on 9 November 1985. The company revealed its memorial project on the 37th anniversary of this devastating event, to honour the eight victims.
The project is the result of a close collaboration between Delhaize, the city of Aalst, and landscape designer Bas Smets, who is responsible for the memorial’s design.
It is not the first commemorative site executed by Smets, who has previously designed memorials for victims of the Maelbeek and Zaventem bombings in the Sonian Forest and the Utoya attacks of 2011.
Scene on the night of 9 November 1985. Credit: Belga
The memorial, currently in the approval phase and slated for installation in 2023, will be an extension of Osbroek Park, adjacent to the supermarket’s car park.
It is intended as a place of "peace, serenity, and remembrance" for anyone affected by the tragedy. The octagonal memorial design represents the eight victims.
"The attack at the Delhaize in Aalst is a tragic event that should never be forgotten," said Xavier Piesvaux, CEO of Delhaize.
"In addition to the commemorative site in the cemetery, the relatives of the victims, as well as all Aalst residents, will be able to pay their respects at this new memorial. It’s a piece of art that pays tribute to the victims and encourages reflection," concluded Christoph D’Haese, the mayor of Aalst.
