Geluveld and the West Quarter
Admittedly, it seems like a quiet village, but with the Iconoclasm, the Battle of Geluveld, and even the first female mayor of Belgium, much history has already been written in our village.
To emphasize the local connection, the brewery was named after the old name of our region.
At Brouwerij Westkwartier, we fully support the local chain. The name of the brewery, "Westkwartier," is therefore a reference to the former name of the Westhoek, where the brewery is located.
During the turbulent period of the Iconoclasm in the sixteenth century, the region was severely affected by the rebellious Geuzen who plundered the local churches. The origin of this unrest stemmed from several fiery open-air sermons in the then Westhoek or Westkwartier, as it was called at the time.
The Battle of Gheluvelt
The Battle of Geluveld on October 31, 1914, was a crucial turning point during the First Battle of Ypres. German troops captured the strategic village, threatening to break the British lines. A successful British counterattack recaptured the village, leaving the road to Ypres closed.
On the morning of October 31, 1914, the newly arrived Germans broke through the thinly manned British positions with a massive and catastrophic artillery bombardment and subsequently captured Geluveld. At that moment, the 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment was in reserve in the Polygone Wood. In a heroic manner, and with bayonets fixed to their rifles, they set out for a counterattack towards the castle, completely surprising the Germans present and (temporarily) driving them out of Geluveld.
As a tribute to this battle, a label was designed together with Craig Finn of the TripelB Belgian Beer Café in Worcester to commemorate this battle.
The interactive Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke tells the story of the First World War, with a room also dedicated to this battle.
