In the Prison City, Brussels, 1914-1918: A Personal Narrative

An eyewitness account of life in Brussels under German military occupation during 1914–1918, describing the city’s transformation into a near-prison through censorship, propaganda, curfews, and arbitrary arrests. The author records day-to-day hardships, municipal resistance and the arrest of civic leaders, restrictions on patriotic expression, and the psychological toll of humiliating decrees. Interwoven are scenes of private charity, stoic civilians, and administrative cruelty, with emphasis on precise, firsthand incidents and official proclamations that reveal both popular defiance and measures to suppress morale. The narrative aims to preserve verified facts and convey the moral atmosphere experienced by residents living under sustained occupation.