Original German WWI Occupation Proclamation – Leuven (Löwen) – 9 September 1914

Original German occupation proclamation issued in Leuven (Löwen), Belgium, on 9 September 1914.

This original German notice was issued by the Etappen-Kommandantur in Löwen and deals with military regulations concerning the local population during the German occupation.

The proclamation states that the private property of peaceful inhabitants is to be respected and that goods requisitioned by German troops are to be paid for in cash. It also prohibits individual NCOs and enlisted men from moving around the streets of the city without authorisation.

The document is dated “Löwen, 9 September 1914” and signed by V. Manteuffel of the Etappen-Kommandantur.

A particularly interesting early document from the German occupation of Leuven, dating from only a few weeks after the city was occupied in August 1914.

The paper shows significant age-related wear, staining and tears, but remains an original and historically important occupation document. Measuring 28 × 22 cm.