Ethnic group native to Flanders, Belgium
Ethnic group
Flemings
Vlamingen
Flag of
Flanders
, the symbol of the Flemish people.
|
Flemish Community in Belgium and Europe
|
|
c.
7 million
(2011 estimate)
|
|
Belgium
(
Flanders
)
| 6,450,765
[1]
|
---|
United States
| Indeterminable
[a]
(
352,630 Belgians
)
[2]
|
---|
France
| 187,750
[3]
|
---|
Canada
| 13,840?176,615
[b]
[4]
|
---|
South Africa
| 55,200
[3]
|
---|
Australia
| 15,130
[3]
|
---|
Brazil
| 6,000
[3]
|
---|
|
Dutch
(
Belgian Dutch
,
West Flemish
,
Limburgish
)
|
|
Predominantly and historically
Roman Catholic
with
Protestant
minority
[a]
Increasingly
irreligious
|
|
Dutch
,
Walloons
,
Afrikaners
,
Vilamovians
|
^a
U.S. population census does not differentiate between Belgians and Flemish, therefore the number of the latter is unknown.
^b
In 2011, 13,840 respondents stated Flemish
ethnic origin
. Another 176,615 reported
Belgian
. See
List of Canadians by ethnicity
|
Person
| Fleming (
Vlaming
)
|
---|
People
| Flemings
(
Vlamingen
)
|
---|
Language
| Flemish
(
Vlaams
),
VGT
(
Vlaamse Gebarentaal
)
|
---|
Country
| Flanders
(
Vlaanderen
)
|
---|
Flemish people
or
Flemings
(
Dutch
:
Vlamingen
[?vlaːm?ŋ?(n)]
ⓘ
) are a
Germanic
ethnic group
native to
Flanders
,
Belgium
, who speak
Flemish Dutch
. Flemish people make up the majority of
Belgians
, at about 60%.
"
Flemish
" was historically a geographical term, as all inhabitants of the medieval
County of Flanders
in modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands were referred to as "Flemings", irrespective of their
ethnicity
or language.
[5]
The contemporary region of Flanders comprises a part of this historical county, as well as parts of the medieval
duchy of Brabant
and the medieval
county of Loon
, where the modern national identity and
culture
gradually formed.
History
[
edit
]
The sense of "Flemish" identity increased significantly after the
Belgian Revolution
. Prior to this, the term "
Vlamingen
" in the Dutch language was in first place used for the inhabitants of the former County of Flanders.
[
citation needed
]
Flemish, however, had been used since the 14th century to refer to the language and dialects of both the peoples of Flanders and the
Duchy of Brabant
.
[6]
[7]
In 1830, the southern provinces of the
United Netherlands
proclaimed their independence. French-dialect speaking population, as well as the administration and elites, feared the loss of their status and autonomy under Dutch rule while the rapid industrialization in the south highlighted economic differences between the two. Under
French rule
(1794?1815), French was enforced as the only official language in public life, resulting in a
Francization
of the elites and, to a lesser extent, the middle classes. The Dutch king allowed the use of both Dutch and French dialects as administrative languages in the Flemish provinces. He also enacted laws to reestablish Dutch in schools.
[8]
The language policy was not the only cause of the secession; the
Roman Catholic
majority viewed the sovereign, the Protestant
William I
, with suspicion and were heavily stirred by the Roman Catholic Church which suspected William of wanting to enforce
Protestantism
. Lastly, Belgian liberals were dissatisfied with William for his allegedly despotic behaviour.
[
citation needed
]
Following the revolt, the language reforms of 1823 were the first Dutch laws to be abolished and the subsequent years would see a number of laws restricting the use of the Dutch language.
[9]
This policy led to the gradual emergence of the
Flemish Movement
, that was built on earlier
anti-French
feelings of injustice, as expressed in writings (for example by the late 18th-century writer,
Jan Verlooy
) which criticized the Southern
Francophile
elites. The efforts of this movement during the following 150 years, have to no small extent facilitated the creation of the
de jure
social, political and linguistic equality of Dutch from the end of the 19th century.
[
citation needed
]
After the
Hundred Years War
many Flemings migrated to the
Azores
. By 1490 there were 2,000 Flemings living in the Azores.
Willem van der Haegen
was the original sea captain who brought settlers from Flanders to the Azores. Today many Azoreans trace their genealogy from present day Flanders. Many of their customs and traditions are distinctively Flemish in nature such as
windmills
used for grain,
Sao Jorge cheese
and several religious events such as the imperios and the feast of the
Cult of the Holy Spirit
.
Identity and culture
[
edit
]
Within Belgium, Flemings form a clearly distinguishable group set apart by their language and customs. Various cultural and linguistic customs are similar to those of the Southern part of the Netherlands.
[10]
Generally, Flemings do not identify themselves as being Dutch and vice versa.
[11]
There are popular stereotypes in the Netherlands as well as Flanders which are mostly based on the 'cultural extremes' of both Northern and Southern culture.
[12]
Alongside this overarching political and social affiliation, there also exists a strong tendency towards
regionalism
, in which individuals greatly identify themselves culturally through their native
province
, city,
region
or
dialect
they speak.
Language
[
edit
]
Flemings speak
Dutch
(specifically its
southern variant
, which is often colloquially called '
Flemish
'). It is the
majority language
in Belgium, being spoken natively by three-fifths of the population. Its various dialects contain a number of lexical and a few grammatical features which distinguish them from the standard language.
[13]
As in the Netherlands, the pronunciation of Standard Dutch is affected by the native dialect of the speaker. At the same time
East Flemish
forms a continuum with both
Brabantic
and
West Flemish
. Standard Dutch is primarily based on the
Hollandic
dialect (spoken in the northwestern Netherlands) and to a lesser extent on Brabantic, which is the most dominant Dutch dialect of the Southern Netherlands and
Flanders
.
Religion
[
edit
]
Approximately 75% of the Flemish people are by baptism assumed
Roman Catholic
, though a still diminishing minority of less than 8% attends
Mass
on a regular basis and nearly half of the inhabitants of
Flanders
are
agnostic
or
atheist
. A 2006 inquiry in Flanders showed 55% chose to call themselves religious and 36% believe that God created the universe.
[14]
National symbols
[
edit
]
The official flag and coat of arms of the
Flemish Community
represents a black lion with red claws and tongue on a yellow field (
or
a lion rampant
sable
armed and langued
gules
).
[15]
A flag with a completely black lion had been in wide use before 1991 when the current version was officially adopted by the Flemish Community. That older flag was at times recognized by government sources (alongside the version with red claws and tongue).
[16]
[17]
Today, only the flag bearing a lion with red claws and tongue is recognized by Belgian law, while the flag with the all-black lion is mostly used by Flemish separatist movements. The Flemish authorities also use two logos of a highly stylized black lion which show the claws and tongue in either red or black.
[18]
The first documented use
[19]
of the Flemish lion was on the
seal
of
Philip d'Alsace
,
count of Flanders
of 1162. As of that date the use of the Flemish coat of arms (
or a lion rampant sable
) remained in use throughout the reigns of the d'Alsace, Flanders (2nd) and
Dampierre
dynasties of counts
. The motto "Vlaanderen de Leeuw" (Flanders the lion) was allegedly present on the arms of
Pieter de Coninck
at the
Battle of the Golden Spurs
on July 11, 1302.
[20]
[21]
[22]
After the acquisition of Flanders by the
Burgundian dukes
the lion was only used in escutcheons. It was only after the creation of the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
that the coat of arms (surmounted by a chief bearing the
Royal Arms of the Netherlands
) once again became the official symbol of the new province
East Flanders
.
Diaspora
[
edit
]
Brazil
[
edit
]
Canada
[
edit
]
The first sizeable wave of Flemish migration to
Canada
occurred in the 1870s, when
Saint Boniface
proved a popular destination for work in local flour mills, brick yards and railway yards. Similarly, Flemish were drawn to smaller villages in
Manitoba
, where jobs in farming were available.
[23]
In the early 20th century, Flemish settled in significant numbers across
Ontario
, particularly attracted by the tobacco-growing industry, in the towns of
Chatham
,
Leamington
,
Tillsonburg
,
Wallaceburg
,
Simcoe
,
Sarnia
and
Port Hope
.
[24]
[25]
France and the Netherlands
[
edit
]
The original County of Flanders encompassed areas which today belong to
France
and the
Netherlands
, but are still host to people of Flemish descent and some continued use of Flemish Dutch. Namely, these are
Zeelandic Flanders
and the
Arrondissement of Dunkirk
(historically known as
French Westhoek
). The people of
North Brabant
also share related ancestry.
Portugal
[
edit
]
Flemish people also emigrated at the end of the fifteenth century, when Flemish traders conducted intensive trade with
Spain
and
Portugal
, and from there moved to colonies in
America
and
Africa
.
[26]
The newly discovered
Azores
were populated by 2,000 Flemish people from 1460 onwards, making these
volcanic islands
known as the "Flemish Islands".
[27]
[28]
[29]
For instance, the city of
Horta
derives its name from Flemish explorer
Josse van Huerter
.
[30]
South Africa
[
edit
]
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
Prior to the 1600s, there were several substantial waves of Flemish migration to the
United Kingdom
. The first wave fled to England in the early 12th century, escaping damages from a storm across the coast of Flanders, where they were largely resettled in
Pembrokeshire
by
Henry I
. They changed the culture and accent in south Pembrokeshire to such an extent, that it led to the area receiving the name
Little England beyond Wales
.
Haverfordwest
[31]
and
Tenby
consequently grew as important settlements for the Flemish settlers.
[32]
In the 14th century, encouraged by
King Edward III
and perhaps in part due to his marriage to
Philippa of Hainault
, another wave of migration to England occurred when skilled cloth weavers from Flanders were granted permission to settle there and contribute to the then booming cloth and woollen industries.
[33]
These migrants particularly settled in the growing
Lancashire
and
Yorkshire
textile towns of
Manchester
,
[34]
Bolton
,
[35]
Blackburn
,
[36]
Liversedge
,
[37]
Bury
,
[38]
Halifax
[39]
[40]
and
Wakefield
.
[41]
Demand for Flemish weavers in England occurred again in both the 15th and 16th centuries, but this time particularly focused on towns close to the coastline of
East Anglia
and
South East England
. Many from this generation of weavers went to
Colchester
,
Sandwich
[42]
and
Braintree
.
[43]
In 1582, it was estimated that there could have been around 1,600 Flemish in Sandwich, today almost half of its total population.
[44]
London
,
Norwich
and
North Walsham
, however, were the most popular destinations, and the nickname for
Norwich City F.C.
fans, Canaries, is derived from the fact that many of the
Norfolk
weavers kept pet canaries.
[45]
[46]
The town of
Whitefield
, near Bury, also claims to owe its name to Flemish cloth weavers that settled in the area during this era, who would lay their cloths out in the sun to bleach them.
[47]
These waves of settlement are also evidenced by the common surnames
Fleming
, Flemings, Flemming and Flemmings.
United States
[
edit
]
In the
United States
, the cities of
De Pere
and
Green Bay
in
Wisconsin
attracted many Flemish and Walloon immigrants during the 19th century.
[48]
[49]
The small town of
Belgique
was settled almost entirely by Flemish immigrants, although a significant number of its residents left after the
Great Flood of 1993
.
See also
[
edit
]
Notes and references
[
edit
]
- ^
"Structuur van de bevolking ? Belgie / Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest / Vlaams Gewest / Waals Gewest / De 25 bevolkingsrijke gemeenten (2000?2006)"
[Structure of the population - Belgium / Brussels-Capital Region / Flemish Region / Walloon Region / The 25 populated municipalities (2000-2006)] (in Dutch). Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy ? Directorate-general Statistics Belgium. 2007
. Retrieved
May 23,
2007
.
? Note: 59% of the Belgians can be considered Flemish, i.e., Dutch-speaking: Native speakers of Dutch living in
Wallonia
and of French in Flanders are relatively small minorities which furthermore largely balance one another, hence counting all inhabitants of each unilingual area to the area's language can cause only insignificant inaccuracies (99% can speak the language). Dutch: Flanders' 6.079 million inhabitants and about 15% of Brussels' 1.019 million are 6.23 million or 59.3% of the 10.511 million inhabitants of Belgium (2006); German: 70,400 in the German-speaking Community (which has
language facilities
for its less than 5% French-speakers), and an estimated 20,000?25,000 speakers of German in the Walloon Region outside the geographical boundaries of their official Community, or 0.9%; French: in the latter area as well as mainly in the rest of Wallonia (3.414 - 0.093 = 3.321 million) and 85% of the Brussels inhabitants (0.866 million) thus 4.187 million or 39.8%; together indeed 100%
[
dead link
]
- ^
Results
Archived
2020-02-12 at
archive.today
American Fact Finder (US Census Bureau)
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Vlamingen in de Wereld"
. Vlamingen in de Wereld, a foundation offering services for Flemish expatriates, with cooperation of the Flemish government. Archived from
the original
on 2007-02-05
. Retrieved
2007-03-01
.
- ^
2011 Canadian Census
- ^
Lebon (1838).
La Flandre Wallonne aux 16e et 17e siшcle suivie... de notes historiques ... - Lebon - Google Livres
. Retrieved
2013-01-08
.
- ^
Lode Wils. De lange weg van de naties in de Lage Landen, p.46.
ISBN
90-5350-144-4
- ^
Wright, Sue; Kelly-Holmes, Helen (1995).
Languages in contact and conflict ... - Google Books
. Multilingual Matters.
ISBN
978-1-85359-278-2
. Retrieved
2010-08-27
.
- ^
E.H. Kossmann,
De lage landen 1780/1980. Deel 1 1780-1914
, 1986, Amsterdam, p. 128
- ^
Jacques Logie,
De la regionalisation a l'independance, 1830
, Duculot, 1980, Paris-Gembloux, p. 21
- ^
National minorities in Europe, W. Braumuller, 2003, page 20.
- ^
Nederlandse en Vlaamse identiteit, Civis Mundi 2006 by S.W Couwenberg.
ISBN
90-5573-688-0
. Page 62. Quote: "Er valt heel wat te lachen om de wederwaardigheden van Vlamingen in Nederland en Nederlanders in Vlaanderen. Ze relativeren de verschillen en beklemtonen ze tegelijkertijd. Die verschillen zijn er onmiskenbaar: in taal, klank, kleur, stijl, gedrag, in politiek, maatschappelijke organisatie, maar het zijn stuk voor stuk varianten binnen een taal-en cultuurgemeenschap." The opposite opinion is stated by L. Beheydt (2002): "Al bij al lijkt een grondiger analyse van de taalsituatie en de taalattitude in Nederland en Vlaanderen weinig aanwijzingen te bieden voor een gezamenlijke culturele identiteit. Dat er ook op andere gebieden weinig aanleiding is voor een gezamenlijke culturele identiteit is al door Geert Hofstede geconstateerd in zijn vermaarde boek
Allemaal andersdenkenden
(1991)." L. Beheydt, "Delen Vlaanderen en Nederland een culturele identiteit?", in P. Gillaerts, H. van Belle, L. Ravier (eds.),
Vlaamse identiteit: mythe en werkelijkheid
(Leuven 2002), 22-40, esp. 38.
(in Dutch)
- ^
Dutch Culture in a European Perspective: Accounting for the past, 1650-2000; by D. Fokkema, 2004, Assen.
- ^
G. Janssens and A. Marynissen,
Het Nederlands vroeger en nu
(Leuven/Voorburg 2005), 155 ff.
- ^
Inquiry by 'Vepec', 'Vereniging voor Promotie en Communicatie' (Organisation for Promotion and Communication), published in Knack magazine 22 November 2006 p.14 [The Dutch language term 'gelovig' is in the text translated as 'religious'; more precisely it is a very common word for believing in particular in any kind of God in a
monotheistic
sense, and/or in some
afterlife
.
- ^
(in Dutch)
Flemish Authorities - coat of arms
Archived
2003-12-04 at the
Wayback Machine
De officiele voorstelling van het wapen van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, in zwart - wit en in kleur, werd vastgesteld bij de ministeriele besluiten van 2 januari 1991 (BS 2 maart 1991), en zoals afgebeeld op de bijlagen bij deze besluiten.
- flag
Archived
2007-02-04 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Samples of the black lion without red tongue and claws for the province of East and
West Flanders
before the regionalization of Belgian provinces:
Prof. Dr. J. Verschueren; Dr. W. Pee & Dr. A. Seeldraeyers (1 December 1997).
Verschuerens Modern Woordenboek
(6th revised ed.). N.V. Brepols, Turnhout. volume M?Z, plate "Wapenschilden" left of p. 1997.
This dictionary/encyclopaedia was put on the list of school books allowed to be used in the official secondary institutions of education on March 8, 1933 by the Belgian government.
- ^
Armorial des provinces et des communes de Belgique, Max Servais: pages 217-219, explaining the 1816 origin of the Flags of the provinces of East and West Flanders and their post 1830 modifications
- ^
Flemish authorities show a logo of a highly stylized black lion either with
red claws and tongue (sample: 'error' page by ministry of the Flemish Community)
Archived
2005-04-06 at the
Wayback Machine
or a
completely black version
.
- ^
Armorial des provinces et des communes de Belgique, Max Servais
- ^
"Flanders (Belgium)"
. Flags of the World web site. 2006-12-02
. Retrieved
2007-08-26
.
- ^
Velde, Francois R. (2000-04-01).
"War-Cries"
. Retrieved
2007-08-26
.
- ^
Olivier, M. (1995-06-13).
"Voorstel van decreet houdende instelling van de Orde van de Vlaamse Leeuw (Vlaamse Raad, stuk 36, buitengewone zitting 1995 ? Nr. 1)"
(PDF)
(in Dutch).
Flemish Parliament
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2007-09-27
. Retrieved
2007-08-26
.
- ^
[1]
The Belgians In Canada
, Cornelius J. Jaenen, 1991.
- ^
"This migration resulted in a Flemish corridor stretching from Wallaceburg, through Chatham, up to Leamington."/"Flemish moved to a region stretching from Aylmer to Simcoe."
The Netherlandic Presence in Ontario
, Frans J. Schryer, 1998.
- ^
"The most important Flemish settlement was located at the heart of the tobacco-growing region, within the London-Kitchener-Dunnville triangle."/"In the mid-1920s, another important settlement developed around Sarnia on Lake Huron."
The Flemish and Dutch Migrant Press in Canada: A Historical Investigation
, Jennifer Vrielinck. Accessed August 3, 2019.
- ^
"Flemish merchants"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"De vergeten Vlamingen van de Azoren ? Lusophonia"
(in Dutch). 2007-04-02
. Retrieved
2023-10-14
.
- ^
"De Azoren, de Vlaamse eilanden"
.
Het Nieuwsblad
(in Flemish). 2011-03-05
. Retrieved
2023-10-14
.
- ^
"Meer Geschiedenis van de Azoren"
.
www.azoresweb.com
. Retrieved
2023-10-14
.
- ^
"Historia ? Freguesia das Angustias"
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
2023-10-14
.
- ^
"It (Haverfordwest) was probably the main area of Flemish settlement in Pembrokeshire."
Archived
2019-08-01 at the
Wayback Machine
Haverfordwest Town Council
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
The Flemish colonists in Wales
BBC
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
Fourteenth Century England - A Place Flemish Rebels Called 'Home'
England's Immigrant's 1330-1550
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
The Establishment of Flemish Weavers in Manchester. AD 1363
The Victorian Web
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"Remember our Flemish 'immigrant' ancestors who came to Bolton and established the spinning and weaving industry on which the town was subsequently built."
The Bolton News
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"Flemish weavers who settled in the area in the 14th Century helped to develop the woollen cottage industry."
Community Rail Lancashire
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"Settlement of Flemish Cloth Workers in Hartshead and Liversedge"
Spen Valley, Past and Present
by Frank Peel, 1893.
- ^
"In the mid 1300's, it is said that Flemish weavers settled in Bury, giving rise to the woollen industry in the town, and the reason for a sheep being depicted on the Coat of Arms."
Lancashire Online Parish Clerks
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"A considerable number of Flemish weavers settled in Halifax in the West Riding at the close of the fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth century."
Weaving in Yorkshire
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"The cloth trade enjoyed a fillip when a considerable number of Flemish weavers settled in Halifax in the West Riding at the close of the fourteenth century."
History of the Wool Industry in England, the Yorkshire West Riding and Pudsey & Halifax
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"About 1340, Flemish weavers settled in this town"
Some Field Family Journeys: Selected Descendants of Roger Del Feld
by Warren James Field, 2011.
- ^
Flemish Immigrants In South-East England During The Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"The weaving skills of Flemish immigrants brought a further boost to Braintree's prosperity in the 16th century"
Archived
2019-08-01 at the
Wayback Machine
A Brief History of Braintree
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"From the early 1580s, the numbers of immigrants began to decline as many of the strangers returned to the Netherlands and one historian has estimated that the Flemish/Dutch population had dropped to just over a thousand by 1582. The likelihood, however, is that although numbers were decreasing the decline was not as great as this, and that numbers were nearer 1,600 to 2,000 in 1582."
The Population of Sandwich From Elizabeth I To The Civil War
. Accessed August 1, 2019."
- ^
[2]
The Elizabethan Strangers
. BBC. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"Flemish weavers came and settled in North Walsham in the 13th and 14th centuries."
Tour Norfolk
. Accessed August 3, 2019.
- ^
"By the fifteenth century a small community of weavers and farmers was established and it is believed that this was the origin of Whitefield"
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
. Accessed August 1, 2019.
- ^
"They (Flemish) tended to settle in a tightly packed strip of woods between Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay."
Wisconsin Historical Society
. Accessed August 3, 2019.
- ^
[3]
The Flemish In Wisconsin
, Jeanne and Les Rentmeester, 1985.
External links
[
edit
]
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