Where is this cathedral located in Belgium?

[Remy Spezzano]

I'm hoping some of the Belgian members of the forum can help me identify the cathedral shown in the photos below.
I'm not 100% certain but I believe this might be some were in Flanders.

The photos were taken in 1943 by Waffen-SS Kriegsberichter Damm-Jensen who was stationed nearby this city.
This is why I am trying to figure out the exact location.
Thanks.

[Remy Spezzano]

Another part of the city's main area.

[Remco]

Hello Remy,

The one on the left is called the Lakenhallen en the cathedral on the right is called Sint-Maartens cathedral .These are in the city Ieper.

[Remy Spezzano]

Thank you Remco!!! I knew someone would know where this place is in Belgium. And thanks for posting the modern day comparison photo.

I will post some more photos later that were taken by the Waffen-SS Kriegsberichter who was walking around the city and taking photos of his comrades. There are some pretty cool shots which show us nice uniforms and cuff titles.

[jmark]

I thought it looked like the famous Cloth Hall in Ypres but I wasn't sure. Went there in 2001. There's a WW1 museum inside.

Jason

[Olivier V.]

Hi Remy,

Nice pictures, i went there in September and its amazing to think this city was largely destroyed in WW1. I read Hitler actually said he would send the people charged with rebuilding Lübeck ( iirc ) to Ieper since it had rissen as a phoenix from its ashes after WW1. For those not familiar with how Ypres looked in WW1, compare this pic to Remy's and its not hard to see why Hitler would have been impressed. Walking there some 25 years after the destruction i'm sure the kriegsreporter and his friends were to, as even 70 years after them i was amazed at this beautifull ancient, yet so new city.

Thanks for sharing and looking forward to anymore that might be forthcoming,

kind regards, Olivier.

[Remy Spezzano]

At first I was unable to read the street sign clearly enough to look it up on Google Maps. But thanks to Remco we now know the photo was taken in the Flemish city of Ieper. The Kriegsbericter was standing on the corner of Sint-Jacobsstraat and Meensestraat.

Also not the two German soldiers with rifles on the corner patrolling the area.
They may be Feldgendarmeries or regular Heer soldiers.

[Olivier V.]

Didnt know you were looking for the actual street too, on the 2nd picture you posted he is facing the corner of the streets you mentioned.

Cool picture, the position of the soldiers in regards to the two women is interesting, they either bump in to them or they are strolling together with one woman hiding her head or something (can't distinguish its shape) ?

Regards, Olivier.

[Remy Spezzano]

Didnt know you were looking for the actual street too, on the 2nd picture you posted he is facing the corner of the streets you mentioned.

Cool picture, the position of the soldiers in regards to the two women is interesting, they either bump in to them or they are strolling together with one woman hiding her head or something (can't distinguish its shape) ?

Regards, Olivier.

Yes this is correct. If you go to Google Maps and use the street view you can just about stand in the exact spot where he snapped the two photos first posted.

Here are some more photos from the same roll of film taken by him that same sunny afternoon on May 27, 1943.

From what I can discern it appears that KB Damm-Jensen together withseveral members of the war correspondents section of the Langemarck Div. were given a free pass into the city to walk around and explore.

There was also a public performance by the divisions band. And you can see them performing in the market place.

This is frame No. 6 from the roll of film.

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 7

It's interesting to see how the members of the band were allowed to carry a side arm.

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 11

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 17

In the next three photos Damm-Jensen snaps a few shots of his comrades from the SS-Kriegsberichter section. These are basically his co-workers in the division. You can barely make out the "SS-Kriegsberichter" cufftitle being worn by the NCO standing on the right side of this photo.

The NCO "Spiess" with his back to the camera is the groups tour guide.

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 18

I have zoomed in on this photo using Photoshop to see what cypher is being worn on the shoulder board and it appears to be an "LAH" cypher. The fact that this NCO is an experienced veteran of the Waffen-SS and is acting as the tour guide, it would make sense that he is an NCO from the LAH who was reassigned to work with the new recruits from the "Langemarck" Division.

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 19

While the tour guide keeps the group busy, SS-KB Damm-Jensen decides to get creative and snaps a photo from across the street looking down on them.

[Remy Spezzano]

Frame No. 20

Back at the office he snaps a photo of his co-worker typing away.