EVOLUTION (? ... -250.000 B.C.)
From BigBang to life
PALEOLITHICUM (-7000 B.C.)
Our eyes are pointed at early life, always changing, growing. And again we follow a trace which finally leads us to early man. MESOLITHICUM (-4000 B.C.)
When the severe ice ages finally came to an end, man hunted small game. Everything that he needed, he took from nature NEOLITHICUM (-1400 BC)
After roaming through nature for thousands of years, man had acquired a wealth of knowledge. Then, a new step forward was taken by man in the Middle East about 12,000 years ag.BRONZE AGE (-700 B.C.)
A new revolution is brought about by the use of metal. At first, copper and gold were used, because these can be forged unheated. IRON AGE
The introduction of bronze was followed by that of iron, which is widely available. This led to concentrations of military power, to conquests and to the migration of tribes like these of the Celts..ROMANS (-51 B.C.)
In 57 B.C. Julius Caesar conquered ancient Gaul. The Romans ruled our region for more than four centuries, which led to the so-called "Romanization".MIDDLE AGES(476 A.D.)
After the migration of the Germanic peoples, power in this region passes into the hands of the Frankish rulers. GREVENBROEK CASTLE
Typical of the Middle Ages was its feudal system. Achel, Hamont and Lille, however, constituted a monastic domain for a long time.
DE TOMP
"The Tomp" a defence tower, a simple windmill or maybe both? Research is still ongoing since many years.NEW TIME- TEUTEN (1795 A.D.)
The French occupation was short-lived (1795-1815). It was followed by the Dutch Period (1815-1830) WW I (1914-1918)
New tensions were building up in Europe. Finally, in 1914 a war broke out that kept the whole of Europe in its hold for four yearsWW II (1939-1945)
In 1933, however, Adolf Hitler became "Führer". Six years after that, he led the Germans into a new world war. CRASH VICKERS WELLINGTON N2849 - HAMONT (17 Jun 1941)
On the night of June 16 to 17 1941, the Wellington N2849 was shot down and crashed near the center of HamontCRASH LANCASTER ED488 VN-M HAMONT (02 feb 1943)
On the evening of 2nd February 1943 an allied fleet of 161 aircraft set out for a bombing raid on the city of Cologne in Germany
CRASH SHORT STIRLING EF366 - ACHEL (22 jun 1943)
On the night of June 21 to 22 1943, the Stirling bomber EF-366 was shot down in the hamlet "Het Ven"SUFFOLK REGIMENT (20 sep 1944)
on 20th September 1944, in darkness and heavy mist, the Battalion moved forward. The advance was uninterrupted and the town occupied