Defending French in Flanders, 1873-1974: Between Liberty and Identity

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

This book examines the efforts of the French-speaking minority in Flanders, Belgium, to maintain a legal and social presence of the French language in Flemish public life. Chronologically, the study is bookended by two developments, almost exactly a century apart. In 1873, the first laws were passed which regulated the use of language in public administration in Flanders, challenging the de facto use of French among the Flemish ruling class. One hundred and one years later, the last French daily newspaper in Flanders collapsed, reflecting the death of a once vibrant French-speaking community. The author argues that the methods and arguments by which French speakers defended the role of French in Flemish public life changed along with the social and political situation of this minority. As the Flemish movement grew over the course of the twentieth century, appeals for the ‘free choice’ of language evolved into claims that French speakers in Flanders represented an ethnolinguistic minority who deserved protection for their mother tongue. Providing new insights for scholars of European history, this book demonstrates how the debate over the role of French in Flanders was at the centre of Belgium’s ethnolinguistic conflict - the repercussions of which continue to be felt to this day..