Sunday, August 24, 2014

History in flames: 100th Anniversary of Burning of Leuven University library

World War I had started weeks earlier and Belgium had slowed Germany’s march on France much more than expected. German irritation turned to anger, then to atrocities.
The destruction of the university library served little strategic purpose beyond ruining what people held dear — a practice that continues to thrive today, especially in the Middle East and Africa, where roaming rebels and defiant dictators are robbing the world of some of the highlights of human history.
The strategy is destroying the identity of a community,” said Leuven University archivist Mark Derez.