Wire of Death, Border barrier in Dutch-Belgian frontier, Belgium
The Wire of Death was an electrified border fence along the Belgian-Dutch frontier with wires carrying lethal electrical current. A 200-meter reconstruction of this barrier now stands at Hamont-Achel with information panels explaining how it worked.
German forces built this electrified fence in 1915 to stop Belgian civilians from escaping to neutral Netherlands during World War I occupation. It remained active until the end of the war in November 1918.
The fence split apart communities and families on both sides, and people called it Dodendraad, which means Wire of the Dead in Dutch and Flemish. This name reflects the deep human pain tied to this place.
Visiting the site needs no special preparation, as the reconstruction is easy to reach and sits on flat ground. Information panels are available in different languages to help visitors understand the place.
The fence carried high voltage around 2,000 volts that killed instantly upon contact. This technical brutality makes the place a sobering reminder of wartime desperation.
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