December 23, 2013 Bruges, Belgium Killer András Pándy, who murdered, dismembered, and dissolved 6 family members, dies in prison Pándy had been serving a life sentence at the time of his death, convicted of killing six of his family members and raping three of his daughters, one of whom was also a murder victim. From…
Heysel Stadium disaster
May 29, 1985 Brussels, Belgium A riot between fans preceding the 1985 European Cup Final results in the deaths of 39 and the injuries of over 600 The riots began as fans from the Juventus and Liverpool football clubs threw rocks at each other. Eventually, some Liverpool fans started climbing a fence into a “no-man’s…
Brussels massacre of 1370
May 22, 1370 Brussels, Belgium Between 6 and 20 Jews are executed at the stake while the remainder are banished after allegedly desecrating hosts The actual motive behind the attack is disputed, depending on the source. The Christians of the area alleged a group of Jews desecrated hosts during the Holy Eucharist, a ceremony commemorating…
Elderly man kills 2 neighbors, injures several others, and is killed during police standoff
May 7, 2002 Brussels, Belgium 79-year-old Hendrik Vyt shoots his downstairs neighbors to death, wounds 2 of their 5 children, sets fire to his own apartment, and is killed during a standoff Vyt was reportedly outspoken regarding his racist views, particularly those of Middle Eastern descent. Vyt was also known to be a neighborhood bully,…
Charles the Good, assassinated while praying
March 2, 1127 Bruges, County of Flanders (modern-day Belgium and northern France) Charles the Good is assassinated Charles was the Duke of Flanders. Two years prior to his death had tried to overcome a famine in his lands, choosing to expel the Jews from the area, claiming they were the cause. Aside from resorting to…
