Montzen gare
by Mike Falkner
The Montzen gare (station) was originally built by Russian prisoners in 1915 for the German army. The first station was a grand structure and was flaunted as the most beautiful rail station in all of Belgium. This site served as the main rail line into Germany and served as a border post. It was heavily used for passenger and military traffic. During the war, it was the border station through which the deportation trains ran, heading east to the extermination camps. For many it would have been the last stop and the last chance to escape a grim fate.
The station was bombed in 1944 because if its strategic value and was completely destroyed. The station structure as it exists today was rebuilt on the site shortly after the war. The station was officially closed in 1998 after being rendered obsolete by the newer high speed rail lines and easing of borders under the EU.
Montzen gare is still an active shunting track, although most of the lines are no longer in use.
