Wetteren honours founder with new statue after theft
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Residents of Wetteren, Belgium, unveiled a new bust of Jan-Frans Cooppal, the founder of a significant gunpowder factory in the town.
Fifteen years ago, thieves stole the original statue from Cooppallaan, a street named in his honour. Cooppal established the factory in 1788, and it quickly became known throughout the region and beyond. The factory initially served the Austrian army, which was fighting against revolutionary France.
Despite Austria’s eventual defeat, the army’s supply of gunpowder from the Cooppal factory was not the cause. After a period of closure under French rule, the factory reopened in 1815 and became the primary supplier of gunpowder for Belgium following the country’s independence. The new bust now stands at the chemical company Omnichem Ajinomoto. The Cooppal factory continued operating until after World War II, leaving a lasting legacy in Wetteren and the surrounding area.
