Solidarity during the years of war

Under dire circumstances, company employees and their bosses tried hard to get through the tough period of war. People still worked until noon on Saturdays at the time and a normal work day consisted of twelve hours. A week long power cut would cause a complete shut-down of the works for all of seven days. Sirens would cry at each air-raid alarm and if the porter blew his horn, it meant you had to take cover. Workers would seek shelter in the designated shelter areas opposite the Polenlaan, on the banks of the Kattenkerkhof, until the all clear sign was again heard. Fuel was scarce – a few stoves placed throughout the company offered the workers some warmth and fresh soup was provided every day to alleviate the hunger. Bones for the soup were collected at the meat preservation factory Calvet that was forced to supply meat to the oppressor. Via special rationing stamps, the Germans allowed the provision of additional meals to workers who performed heavy physical labour. Consequently, in due time almost everyone working at Picanol fell into this category! On the leftovers of the daily soup, employees even secretly reared a pig behind the main building - a few feet from the room where Jaimé Picanol held one his very few meetings with German officers...

(photo from 1944: most of the staff of that time on the roof of the Oude Werkhuizen, behind the Kattenkerkhof (ie cat cemetery) with nothing but … potatoes, since it was war time)