The In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres has received a handcrafted violin linked to the First World War as a donation.
The wooden violin was recently taken to a donation point at the Kringwinkel (Thrift Store) in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders. Upon initial inspection, Cedric Baele, a customisation coach, noticed that parts of the instrument appeared to be made from animal bone rather than plastic.
He also identified a barely legible inscription inside the violin’s soundbox.
Suspecting a connection to the First World War, the organisation that manages the Kringwinkel, Den Azalee, contacted the In Flanders Fields Museum.
Inside the violin, the name Louis De Backer was discovered. Further research uncovered a military file linking the name to a soldier who lived through the war.
The museum expressed delight in adding the unique instrument to its collection. It will be displayed for a year in the special donation showcase located between the museum’s knowledge centre and café. Louis De Backer’s story will also feature in the museum’s yearbook, and he will be memorialised as a character in its historical narratives.
Louis De Backer survived the war and went on to have a large family. The museum is calling on any relatives to come forward with additional information or items related to him.
“We are grateful to the people of Sint-Niklaas for their vigilance. Thanks to their efforts, this violin was not lost but will now be preserved, studied, and shared with the public here at the In Flanders Fields Museum,” said Emmily Talpe, Ypres’ alderman for culture.
