# Belgian farmer moves border with France by mistake **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-farmer-moves-border-with-france-by-mistake/941431 "2021-05-05T12:56:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-farmer-moves-border-with-france-by-mistake/941431/1 "2021-05-05T12:56:22Z")
> [@](#): > > A major diplomatic incident has been avoided in Europe after a Belgian farmer accidentally moved the border with France, making his home country about 1,000 square meters bigger. Luckily, local authorities saw the funny side. > > The border between Belgium and France stretches 390 miles (620 kilometers) and the stone markers that define it have been peacefully in place for more than 200 years. > > One of the boundary stones, however – laid down in 1819, shortly before the Treaty of Kortrijk sealed the deal – was recently spotted as being out of place by 2.29 meters (7.5 feet). > > A farmer from the Belgian town of Erquelinnes is believed to have moved the nuisance stone on his land to a more convenient spot, without anticipating the potential for an international kerfuffle. > The displaced border all along the farmer’s field amounted to an accidental land grab of around 1,000 square meters. > > “We know exactly where the stone was before, right next to a tree,” David Lavaux, the mayor of Erquelinnes, Belgium, told CNN on Tuesday. "In 2019, during the 200th anniversary, they were geo-localized very precisely. > > “The stones were placed there in 1819 following the defeat of Napoleon, and the year is inscribed on them.” [https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/belgium-farmer-moves-french-border/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/belgium-farmer-moves-french-border/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-farmer-moves-border-with-france-by-mistake/941431/2 "2021-05-05T12:57:04Z")
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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-farmer-moves-border-with-france-by-mistake/941431/3 "2021-05-05T12:57:20Z")
Prior thread here: > [@A Belgian farmer moved the border between France and Belgium](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-belgian-farmer-moved-the-border-between-france-and-belgium/941391): > > I hope there won’t be a war over the situation.