Anyone visiting Heusden can hardly imagine that the fortified town on the Meuse was in bad shape half a century ago. The already not prosperous Heusden came out of the Second World War badly damaged. During the post-war reconstruction years, it looked as if the wrecking ball was going to come into play and Heusden would undergo a major modernization. At the last minute, however, the people of Heusden made a radically different choice. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, an extraordinary effort was made to completely restore the town and its fortifications. However, this gigantic project had a downside: due to mounting costs, Heusden ran into serious financial problems. There was also criticism of the way the restoration was carried out. Heusden was said to have become a museum town, a nostalgic reconstruction of a past that in reality never existed. But is this criticism justified? This book tells the story of Heusden's bold metamorphosis. Using many photographs, archives and eyewitnesses, the authors show what considerations and choices underpinned the great project of the restoration of Heusden. Because of the interviews with residents, politicians and administrators of the time, this book is not only very informative, but also offers a wealth of personal memories.