CMC/MHK (Cantine Militaire Centrale/Militaire Hoofdkantine) founded in 1948 was a tax-free supermarket for members of the Belgian military community in Germany. In the shops people with a special ID card (membership card of the Belgian troops in Germany type M, F or C) could find all kinds of household products and luxury goods as well as several specialities, e.g. Belgian beer, cigarettes, coffee, fresh baked bread and daily newspapers, that could not been bought in German shops. CMC/MHK belonged to CDSCA/OCASC, Central Services for Social and Cultural Action of the Belgian Armed Forces, located at the Military Hospital in Brussels/Neder-Over-Heembeek. There have been more than 20 branches in Germany. The branch for Belgian families and soldiers staying in Siegburg or Troisdorf was originally located in Siegburg at the corner of Luisenstrasse and Schamhorstrasse (today Auto-Stiel GmbH) at the Brückberg-Kaserne. From June 3, 1953 – February 1, 1957 Brückberg-Kaserne was a location for Belgian troops called Camp Vinckt. In 1957 when the divisions deployed in Siegburg (some divisions that have been in Siegburg since 1946: Chasseurs Ardennais, 10e Brigade Infanterie, 6e Cie MP, 10e Cie Medicale and 7e Cie Mortiers) moved to the barracks in Troisdorf/Spich and Altenrath to clear the way for a Logistic Brigade of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) CMC/MHK in Siegburg was closed. A new branch was built in the Belgian residential estate in Troisdorf at “In der Maikammer“. The shop was closed in 2002 when the Belgian troops left Germany (REFORBEL: the resolution on the REturn of FORces to BELgiium was adopted on March 28,2001). As there are still living many Belgian families in Siegburg and Troisdorf I think the now vacant building would be the ideal location for a Belgian cultural centre and museum of military history.
