Dr Bernard Wilkin

I assume that they were banned for the same reasons we forbid them now. Interesting document !

Sowing Eagles: 200 years of forging Waterloo battlefield relics. - SRAMA – KVVL BERNARD WILKIN (State Archives of Belgium), ROBIN SCHÄFER (Independent historian) et ARNE HOMANN (Director of the Schloss Salder Municipal Museum, Salzgitter, Germanyne) Introduction ‘Sir!’ exclaimed ...

am thrilled to announce the publication of our latest peer-reviewed research, "Sowing Eagles: 200 Years of Forging Waterloo Battlefield Relics."
From October in the 'Revue belge d’Histoire ­Militaire' you can read online here already:

sramakvvl.be/en/sowing-ea...

@bernardwilkin.bsky.social

The real fate of the Waterloo fallen. The exploitation of bones in 19th century Belgium

How did trade tariffs affect the bone industry in the 19th century? And how did it contribute to the exploitation of the bodies of the Waterloo fallen? Find out for free in our article www.journalbelgianhistory.be/en/journal/b...

Ne pas oublier aussi que les officiers francophones étaient parfois issus... de Flandres. L'élite parlait encore souvent français au 20e siècle, comme en témoigne le "messager de Gand", publié en français dans cette belle ville néerlandophone.

What the article really show is that young people don't learn the other community's language and prefer to pick English as a second language. Nothing really new here, I also never learned Dutch at school, preferring English and German.

The site of the 1914 Sarajevo assassination. Having worked on the First World War for two decades, it felt very strange to finally stand there.

No worry. I'm just baffled by this whole discussion. French people can be really annoying on holiday but there are better things to do than being rude or going back to the past to tell them off.

Which doesn't mean a thing and is poorly written. I assume you mean je m'en fiche.

Not many people in France would know the history behind those words and doing such a salute would just make you look like a fool.

One for the many First World War historians out there. A relic of the last emperor of Austria inside the cathedral of Funchal, Madeira.

We have similar files in Belgium. All suspected people were investigated but not all were found guilty of collaboration.

I wrote a few books on Belgium and work at the state archives 😇

It is literally called tank track juice also. It sounds awful.

Got three, had to pay €19 in customs and they are all damaged 🙄

Today the postman made me a happy bunny, despite having to pay €19 in customs for my author's copies. Thank you Brexit.

When I am presenting a topic, I always make sure to talk as simply as possible and assume that the audience doesn't know a thing about the topic.

You can find online our free article about this: the real fate of the Waterloo fallen.

On the train to Brussels to talk about the missing bones of the Napoleonic wars to a room full of archeologists. Cannot wait to meet @simonverdegem.bsky.social and share the research written with @robschaefer-historian.com and @tonypollard.bsky.social

A very good idea indeed, thank you !

It's all about the enthusiasm. What's your gear?

Folks, it's Saturday. A good time to talk about personal hobbies. What is your guilty pleasure or assumed hobby ? When I'm not with family or hiking, I play guitar in a rock band. One thing for sure, we'll never make it to Glastonbury, but we don't lack enthusiasm.

It's indeed a surreal debate when compared to what is being done in Belgium, where it is largely agreed that individuals have a right to control their end of life.

Congratulations! Loved Fighting for Napoleon and Fighting the British. So glad you and your dad are continuing to make these French soldiers' accounts accessible.

Fighting the Russians Before the French Revolution, the Russian Empire played a minor role in the history of Western Europe, yet its involvement in the wars of the…

😍 Proud to announce that the new 📖 written by my dad and myself is out! Fighting the Russians examines the crucial role played by Russia through hundreds of original letters, notebooks and accounts written by French soldiers at the time of the events or shortly after the fall of Napoleon.

It's been a right here in Belgium for years and most agree that it's a fundamental right and a good thing.

How do you do that?

a black and white drawing of a troll face with a smiling face . ALT: a black and white drawing of a troll face with a smiling face .

I shouldn't tell you about my dirty secret in that case

Hello everyone, another presentation post as more of you are following me. I'm a historian at the Belgian State Archives. I've co-written several books, including these two babies published in 2024. Don't hesitate to say hi and follow me, I look forward to our courteous exchanges on this platform.

A visit to the Brussels war museum where I saw a First World War plane. I was thirteen.

Before it was associated with an enemy symbol in 1914, the iron cross was a coveted medal in Belgium. It was awarded for bravery during the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and was proudly referenced on recipients'graves, such as this one (wounded in action in 1830, decorated with the iron cross).