Shipyard Oud-Rekem shut down after bones from graveyard surface: “Disrespectful, it’s been here for at least a week” | Lanaken

At the rear of the new-build project in the heart of Oud-Rekem, a large number of bones from the former cemetery have surfaced. The bones have been there for at least a week, since the wall was broken open and onlookers started beeping.

“Lurid” thinks one. “Not abnormal”, says the other, because there was once a graveyard, linked to the psychiatric hospital that was located in the castle. What everyone agrees on in unison: leaving the bones lying around was not allowed. “We arrived on site and the site manager had the works halted,” says Mayor Marino Keulen (Open Vld), who was assisted by Sofie Martens, head of environmental permits.

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“A find report has been made to the Real Estate Agency. Here was the old cemetery of the psychiatric center that was once located in the castle. The contractor is now having trenches dug here for the utility lines, to be pulled to a depth of 0.5 meters. It could be human remains that were buried and surfaced at less than 0.5 meters at the time. That old cemetery is in the building permit.”

“Just because there was a graveyard, it is not allowed to dig deeper than 0.5 meters. There is therefore a good chance that these bodies were buried less deeply at the time, possibly due to lack of space.”

The Real Estate Agency monitors the further processing and correct application of the rules, and an archaeologist from the Agency will visit the site. However, the report came late, after citizens themselves sounded the alarm. Many are angry. “That skulls, mandibles, vertebrae and other bones are just lying around is a shame. It can be good that you stumble upon it, but you don’t just leave it there,” passers-by say. “And the bones have been here for a while, you know. They only discovered this when the historic wall was broken open.”

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“It is, however, prohibited for civilians to just enter construction sites, because you could injure yourself if you were to fall into a well, for example,” says Keulen.

The mayor has seen a lot of criticism in recent days after the works in Oud-Rekem.

A poll by HLN.be, completed by 435 Maasland readers, shows that 78 percent are against breaking open the historic wall and choose to close it again. 10 percent regret it, but do not think it will have a negative impact on the historic center. 11 percent think breaking open is a good idea, and think that people dare to combine heritage with modern projects.

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The mayor, in turn, refers again to the legal framework. “Everything is licensed, and Immovable Heritage itself went along with this story. If you looked at Oud-Rekem in the eighties, the underprivileged mostly lived here. From the 1990s to today, it has just become one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the municipality. Projects like this can help that growth.”

Archaeologist and resident of Oud-Rekem Joan Janssen regrets the way the historic rampart was broken open. “Anything people still think of it. They are figs after Easter. That wall was classified, 17th century houses were once built against it. If you look at the wall, you can still see old plaster, but it’s too late. What materials were used then? What might those houses look like? How big were they? You can read all that from such a historic wall, but not anymore.”