The border between France and Belgium has been moved... by mistake!
A farmer moved a 200-year-old border stone because it was in his tractor's way and, in the process, made Belgium bigger.
A farmer just going about his business decided to move a stone, but not just any stone, a 200-year-old stone that marked the divide between France and Belgium.
As innocent as it sounds, this Belgian farmer could possibly be facing criminal charges for potentially making Belgium bigger!
According to an article in The Guardian, "the stone has marked the border since after the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo."
The stone didn't have any special marking. Considering it is such an important piece of history, geography, and legality, we would think that something that holds so much value and significance would have an indicator or plaque distinguishing its importance to those that pass it...
Nevertheless, it holds heaps of heritage and could probably tell lots of stories.
The discovery was made by a local who has a passion for history while walking through the forest two weeks ago. The stone is said to have been moved 2.29m and the stone itself dated back to the 18th century.
David Lavaux, who is the mayor of Erquelinnes, was sure to mention that "the farmer was legally obliged to move the border stone back – and that it would be best not 'to create a diplomatic incident'."
Watch the video below of a news channel capturing the historian's discovery of the border stone being moved:
Posted by David Lavaux on Monday, May 3, 2021
Image and Video Courtesy of Facebook