23 August 1914
In August 1914, war struck Dinant with brutal force. After several days of fighting between the French and German armies, the town experienced one of the most tragic episodes in its history. On 23 August, 674 civilians were killed by German troops and much of the town was set on fire.
The collegiate church was not spared. The roof burned and the famous onion dome that had dominated the town since the 16th century was destroyed. The interior of the church, however, largely escaped the fire.
From 1919, a new restoration campaign began under the direction of the architect Chrétien Veraart.
Should the lost onion dome be rebuilt, or should the collegiate church be given a Gothic silhouette considered more authentic? The question sparked a long debate. A video and four illustrated panels displayed in the collegiate church tell the remarkable saga of the onion dome.