A farmer moved a stone to pass and inadvertently changed the border between Belgium and France

But it was not just any rock but rather a 150 kg monolith engraved with the date of 1819. Its annoying presence responded to the Treaty of Kortrijk, ratified in 1820 and which fixed the borders after Napoleon’s defeat in 1815 at Waterloo, before the formation of Belgium as a state in 1830.

The stone in question separated the town of Erquelinnes, in Belgium, from the French town of Bousignies-sur-Roc. His country gained 2.29 meters, as did his land.

A group of history buffs, Jean-Pierre Chopin, Philippe Fayt and Jean-Paul Maieu discovered the modification by browsing the places with maps of the time.

Two versions are circulating among the townspeople: some claim the boulder moved to better maneuver the tractor, but others suggest he intended to expand his farm. The mayor of the city also spoke, bringing some common sense and tranquility and underlined his willingness to return the stone to its original location.

“The 1819 limit has been moved, Belgium and our municipality are enlarged. The French obviously do not agree, we will have to put things in their place, ”he explained on social networks.

The Belgian authorities will contact the farmer to ask him amicably to put back in his place what should never have been moved, thus avoiding an absurd border dispute and the opening of criminal proceedings against the farmer. “If he shows good intentions, he will have no problem,” the adviser promised.

However, if the man does not comply, the case could end up in the Belgian Foreign Ministry, which in turn would have to convene a commission at the Franco-Belgian border, which has not happened since 1930.