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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

The man who walked with bears: Unraveling the legend of Lier's 'Sus den Berenvechter'

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A local legend in Lier, Belgium, tells of a man known as 'Sus den Berenvechter' who allegedly walked with bears on the city's ramparts.
  • Historical accounts and interviews with residents and local officials confirm Sus was a real figure associated with traveling fairs in the 1920s.
  • Sus den Berenvechter, whose real name is unknown, reportedly wrestled bears as part of fairground attractions and sometimes walked with them, though direct eyewitness accounts of him walking hand-in-hand with a bear are scarce.

A curious legend from Lier, Belgium, speaks of a man who once walked with bears along the city's ramparts, a tale that has persisted through generations. Radio 2 reporter Els Broekmans investigated the story of 'Sus den Berenvechter,' seeking to uncover the truth behind the man and his unusual companions.

The bear was his friend, because Sus walked hand in hand with him over the ramparts.

— Care home residentA resident of a care home in Lier shared a memory about Sus den Berenvechter and his alleged bear companion.

Initial inquiries at a local care home yielded the name 'Sus den Berenvechter,' with some residents recalling him in connection with fairground attractions where he reportedly fought bears. One resident mentioned, "The bear was his friend, because Sus walked hand in hand with him over the ramparts." However, no one could provide firsthand accounts of witnessing this specific act.

Lier's mayor and historian, Rik Verwaest, confirmed that Sus den Berenvechter was indeed a legendary local figure. "Sus was here until his death in 1973, at the age of 69," Verwaest stated. He corroborated the popular story that Sus walked with a bear along the ramparts in the 1920s, causing considerable consternation among onlookers.

Sus den Berenvechter was indeed a legendary local figure. He stayed in Lier until his death in 1973, at the age of 69. That he walked with a bear over the ramparts in the 1920s, to the great consternation of the people who saw him pass, that is indeed a well-known story about Sus.

— Rik VerwaestThe mayor and historian of Lier confirmed the existence and local fame of Sus den Berenvechter.

Further details emerged from an interview conducted by former journalist Henri Melis, who documented Sus's story for the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws and Belga. Melis recounted that Sus worked in a fairground stall in the 1920s, where he was asked to wrestle a brown bear. Sus himself described these encounters not as actual fights, but more as a performance where he had to "run around more than fight with it." He also confirmed that after the fair, he would sometimes walk with the smaller bear cubs.

I had to run around more than fight with it.

— Sus den BerenvechterSus den Berenvechter described his 'fights' with a bear at a fairground attraction during an interview.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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