In the final month of the First World War, Machelen was the scene of fighting between the French army and the German occupiers. The church, the presbytery and almost all the houses in the village centre were severely damaged during bombing raids. This cemetery was established in memory of the victims. 750 French soldiers are buried here, making it the second largest French military cemetery in Belgium. In addition to the graves marked with a cross, there are also graves marked with a crescent moon for the Muslim soldiers.

Machelen was not spared at the start of the Second World War either. The Raveel family took shelter in the cellar of their home several times, fearfully waiting for the next explosion. At a certain point, father Raveel had had enough: ‘If one more bomb hits, we're leaving,’ he said. The moment they left the house, it was destroyed. The family then moved to the local brewery, where many families were sheltering in the cellar. The panic there will remain etched in Raveel's memory forever.

Forty years later, he painted his memories of the horrors of war in the monumental painting A moment without end, 10 May 1940.