The oast house of Haacht Brewery

MEET THE OAST HOUSE, A HISTORICAL MONUMENT

Shortly after the start of the First World War, the surroundings of the brewery became the stage of heavy fights. Many people fled, but Eugène de Ro, founder of our brewery, and master brewer Camille Kerkhofs stayed behind. Their goal? To make sure ‘Haecht Brewery and Dairy’ was okay.

A symbol for pointless war

Sadly enough, they were unable to prevent the German troops from entering our oast house. For them, this high building was strategically situated to keep the Belgian soldiers at a distance. While the Belgians tried to reconquer the building, both Eugène de Ro and Camille Kerkhofs accidently ended up in the line of fire. In the evening’s twilight, Belgian soldiers mistook them for the enemy, and shot them. Camille Kerkhofs was fatally wounded and passed away a few days later, on 28 August 1914.

The bullet holes in the northwestern façade, resulting from the Belgian artillery’s attack, have purposely never been restored. A balcony has later been added to the top floor of the oast house, allowing visitors to examine these silent witnesses of a pointless war up close.

Brasserie Brouwershof

Camille Kerkhofs used to live in a villa right across from our brewery. After his death, his widow sold the villa to Haacht Brewery, which is when Eugène de Ro moved in. Later, the villa served as a home for a number of Haacht Brewery managers. In 1992, it was turned into Brasserie Brouwershof, where you can enjoy good food in a unique setting.