Monument voor de gesneuvelden van Deurne

The monument to Deurne’s fallen, designed by Frans Jochems, was unveiled in 1925. This white stone memorial consists of a tall rectangular pedestal and two sculptural groups. At the top, a fallen soldier lies in the arms of grieving comrades, while at the bottom right a veiled woman and a girl holding flowers symbolise the sorrow of the bereaved. 

The monument bears the inscription: “The people of Deurne / to their / fallen ones / 1914 1918 / 1940 1945”. This is preceded by the coat of arms of Deurne. Later, a separate commemorative stone was added to the left, inscribed with “and their / victims / of the / Nazi terror.” The other sides of the pedestal are engraved with the names of fallen soldiers. 

Frans Jochems (1880–1949) was a Belgian sculptor. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts. Jochems produced religious works, portraits, medallions and monuments, but he became especially famous for his animal sculptures. His work Antilope is also part of the Antwerp public art collection. 

More information about Antwerp and the Second World War can be found here.