louvain belgium

[kdu]

I am trying to solve a family mystery.
My grandmothers middle name is Louvain. She was born in 1916. Her father enlisted in the Princess Patricia light Infantry( Canadian)  in 1916 as well.  By the time I was old enough to wonder about her name, my grandmother had passed on. No one else in the family knew the source of the name.
I do know from some brief research that Louvain was occupied by the Germans in 1914. I'm starting to draw the connection to the name and the place. Can anyone direct me to information about the liberation of Louvain and when that might have happened. I'd love to learn more about other people who may have relatives with the middle name Louvain. To me it seems as if it was more a symbol of hope than defeat....perhaps by keeping the name alive, it was a way to never forget.

[km1971]

Louvain was a WW1 equivalent of Guernica that happened in August 1914. It was also included in a series of paintings from 1916 about German atrocities.

If you search for it on FreeBMD you will find a hundred or more, starting in Sep (qtr) of 1914.

Ken

[kdu]

Thank you so much Ken. I'll check out the site you've mentioned.

Regards, Kathleen

[nameless]

My Mother in law had Louvain in her names because her father was fighting there when she was born.

[kdu]

Thank you for your response.
I know that my great grandfather enlisted AFTER my grandmother was born so he wouldn't have been posted there in 1916. Perhaps he knew someone...or as Ken alluded to...it was symbolic. I'm curious...could you tell me where your mother in law was from. Was she a Canadian as well...or British...or from some other country?

Thank you again for taking the time to respond.

Kathleen

[nameless]

M.I.L. was Welsh, born 1914.  Perhaps someone else in your family had fought there?

[Viktoria]

I knew a lady whose middle name was "Verdun" in honour of the French soldiers who fought at the fort of Douamont, (I apologise if I have the incorrect spelling) at Verdun. The conditions were so bad and hopeless that the  French army mutinied and many were shot.
Louvain or Leuven(Flemish name) was a gem of mediaeval architecture and had one of he oldest libraries of rare books and manuscripts.The German destruction of the town ,its buildings and works of art was seen as an act of barbarism and was used as a propaganda tool against "The Hun". But such a lot was lost and it was so widely publicised that it would seem an act of support for Belgium to name a child after the town( after all that is why we fought against Germany initially ,because Germany had violated Belgian neutrality which I think was settled at the -gosh history failing me-- Congress of Vienna or Treaty of Versailles. Some RootChatter will put me right)
What an interesting name and quite pretty too. Viktoria.
P.S. a lovely memorial to P.P.C.L.I.on the road between Ypres and Gheluveldt. V

[MUMMYG]

I have a friend called Louvain, She was born and bred in Edinburgh Scotland, I always thought it was an old Scottish name back to the Flemish Counts of Louvain who came to Scotland  (later became the Bruces)
Spookily I first met her when we were both living in Brussels in the 80s.

[Dinkydidy]

I have a daughter named Louvaine (notice the added "e", maybe to feminise it?), who was named after my sister of the same name.

My mother (born 1918) named my sister after one of her friends, who was presumably born during WW1.

I have seen the name occasionally - usually in death notices - here in Australia.

Regards,

Didy.