Constantine Bruno, Baron Kervyn de Lettenhove
Encyclopedia
Joseph-Marie-Bruno-Constantin, Baron Kervyn de Lettenhove (17 August 1817 — 3 April 1891) was a Belgian historian and politician.
He was a member of the Catholic Constitutional party and sat in the Belgian Chamber of Deputies
as member for Eeklo
. In 1870 he was appointed a member of the cabinet of Jules Joseph d'Anethan as minister of the interior. However his official career was short. The cabinet appointed as governor of Limburg
one Decker, who had been entangled in the financial speculations of Langand-Dumonceau by which the whole clerical party had been discredited, and which provoked riots. The cabinet was forced to resign, and thereafter Kervyn de Lettenhove devoted himself entirely to literature and history.
He had already become known as the author of a book on Jean Froissart
(Brussels
, 1855), which was crowned by the French Academy. He was also a correspondent of foreign scientific
societies, and preëminent in his own country as an investigator of the national antiquities. He made translations of some of Milton's
shorter poems (1839) and edited the Lettres et négociations de Philippe de Commines
(1867).
He edited a series of chronicles: Chroniques relatives a l'histoire de la Belgique sous la domination des ducs de Bourgogne (Brussels, 1870–1873), and Relations politiques des Pays Bas et de l'Angleterre sous le regne de Philippe II (Brussels, 1882–1892). He wrote a history of Les Hugenots et les Gueux (Bruges, 1883–1885) in the spirit of a violent Roman Catholic partisan, but with much industry and learning. Other works include:
He died at Sint-Michiels near Bruges
in 1891, the community in which he was born in 1817.
He was a member of the Catholic Constitutional party and sat in the Belgian Chamber of Deputies
Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives is one of the two chambers in the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Senate...
as member for Eeklo
Eeklo
Eeklo is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality only comprises the city of Eeklo proper. The name Eeklo comes from the contraction of “eke” and “lo”, two Old German words meaning “oak” and “sparse woods”....
. In 1870 he was appointed a member of the cabinet of Jules Joseph d'Anethan as minister of the interior. However his official career was short. The cabinet appointed as governor of Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)
Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...
one Decker, who had been entangled in the financial speculations of Langand-Dumonceau by which the whole clerical party had been discredited, and which provoked riots. The cabinet was forced to resign, and thereafter Kervyn de Lettenhove devoted himself entirely to literature and history.
He had already become known as the author of a book on Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart , often referred to in English as John Froissart, was one of the most important chroniclers of medieval France. For centuries, Froissart's Chronicles have been recognized as the chief expression of the chivalric revival of the 14th century Kingdom of England and France...
(Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, 1855), which was crowned by the French Academy. He was also a correspondent of foreign scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
societies, and preëminent in his own country as an investigator of the national antiquities. He made translations of some of Milton's
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
shorter poems (1839) and edited the Lettres et négociations de Philippe de Commines
Philippe de Commines
Philippe de Commines was a writer and diplomat in the courts of Burgundy and France. He has been called "the first truly modern writer" and "the first critical and philosophical historian since classical times"...
(1867).
He edited a series of chronicles: Chroniques relatives a l'histoire de la Belgique sous la domination des ducs de Bourgogne (Brussels, 1870–1873), and Relations politiques des Pays Bas et de l'Angleterre sous le regne de Philippe II (Brussels, 1882–1892). He wrote a history of Les Hugenots et les Gueux (Bruges, 1883–1885) in the spirit of a violent Roman Catholic partisan, but with much industry and learning. Other works include:
- Histoire de la FlandreFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(1847–50) - Jacques de ArteveldeJacob van ArteveldeJacob van Artevelde , also known as the Wise Man and the Brewer of Ghent, was a Flemish statesman and political leader....
(1863) - Histoire et croniques de Flandre (1879–80)
- Marie Stuart (1889)
He died at Sint-Michiels near Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in 1891, the community in which he was born in 1817.