War and Toy - Belgian toys in 1914-1918

The “Guerre & Jouet” [War and Toy] exhibition is not, however, limited to toy soldiers. It features a wide array of miniature villages that are exact reproductions of places such as the Dixmude beguinage; decorative elements and figurines in wood (farm, funfair, cart drawn by a horse), dolls, and table games. The Belgian toys in war time are first and foremost peaceful toys that can also take children out of their daily routine for a few moments or a few hours.

Artists and artisans drew and created toys made of wood, cloth or cardboard-stone for different game and toy factories around the country: Fa-Be-Jo (Fabrique belge de Jouets) [Belgian Toy Factory] and the “Jouet Belge” [Belgian Toy] in Brussels, the “Jouet Liégeois” [Liège Toy] in Liège and Remdéo in Louvain. These three cities played host to these new factories.