An annoyed Belgium farmer moved a stone on his property that he believed was disruptive to his tractor path. This stone was actually a marker for the Belgian-French border which stretches 390 miles. According to CNN, the man only moved the stone seven and a half feet from its original location but “The displaced border all along the farmer’s field amounted to an accidental land grab of around 1,000 square meters,” making Belgium slightly bigger and France slightly smaller. 

The 200-year-old stone was placed in 1819 and marked the Belgian-French border that was established in 1820 as part of a treaty that came after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, according to CBS News. The stones are said to weigh around 300-600 pounds. 

According to the New York Times, two French men realized the stone was moved during a walk through the forest. They are unsure when exactly the farmer moved the stone but it is believed that it was moved around two to three months ago. 

The Mayor of the Belgian town where the stone is located saw the “funny side” of the situation and even joked about the increased size of his town. The problem of the displaced stone is not necessarily a critical situation but it is important as “In theory, moving the stone violates the 1820 treaty,’ said Mr. Chopin,” according to the New York Times. Chopin is one of the French men who noticed a difference in the positioning of the stone.

 As long as the farmer moves the stone to its original location, the problem should be resolved fairly quickly. However, if the man does not move the stone he could end up facing criminal charges. 

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/belgian-farmer-moves-belgium-france-border/

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/belgium-farmer-moves-french-border/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/world/europe/france-belgium-border-moved.html