René de Clercq
Encyclopedia
René De Clercq was a Flemish
and Dutch
political activist, writer, poet, and composer.
. During World War I
he fled to the Netherlands. There he taught at the Belgian school in Amsterdam, while editting and contributing (mostly poetry) to the expat magazine "De Vlaamsche Stem" (The Flemish Voice), which (with German funding) slowly became an organ for Flemish activism. After the magazine was discontinued in 1915, in 1916 he wrote a now famous poem directed at the Belgian monarchy in exile in Le Havre, "Aan die van Havere" (To the Havrians). In 1917 he wrote the song "Daar is maar één Vlaanderen" (there is only one Flanders) that became the national anthem of the Flemish separatists. On December 22, 1917, the Raad van Vlaanderen declared its independence from Belgium.
De Clercq became curator
of the museum dedicated to the art of the controversial 19th century Belgian romantic painter Antoine Wiertz
in Brussels. He made a cultural journey through Germany that was well received. After the war he fled again to the Netherlands, where he received by letter the news of the death sentence pronounced upon him by the Belgian government in 1920. In the same year he travelled around the Netherlands with a small band performing his songs. Only after amnesty in 1929 did he return to Flanders for a short visit.
Fifty years after he death he was reburied in Deerlijk
. His place of birth there is now a museum. His book of songs and poetry De Noodhoorn, published in 1916, is listed in the Canon of Dutch Literature
.
Flanders
Flanders 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...
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
political activist, writer, poet, and composer.
Biography
He was the son of a flax dealer and rope-maker who also ran a local inn. After studying at the University of Gent he became a contributor and editor for the magazine Van Nu en StraksVan Nu en Straks
Van Nu en Straks was a Flemish literary and cultural magazine that was founded in 1893 by August Vermeylen. With a cover designed by Henry van de Velde, this magazine served as a vehicle for a Flemish literary revival and was associated with a heterogeneous group of writers and artists...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he fled to the Netherlands. There he taught at the Belgian school in Amsterdam, while editting and contributing (mostly poetry) to the expat magazine "De Vlaamsche Stem" (The Flemish Voice), which (with German funding) slowly became an organ for Flemish activism. After the magazine was discontinued in 1915, in 1916 he wrote a now famous poem directed at the Belgian monarchy in exile in Le Havre, "Aan die van Havere" (To the Havrians). In 1917 he wrote the song "Daar is maar één Vlaanderen" (there is only one Flanders) that became the national anthem of the Flemish separatists. On December 22, 1917, the Raad van Vlaanderen declared its independence from Belgium.
De Clercq became curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the museum dedicated to the art of the controversial 19th century Belgian romantic painter Antoine Wiertz
Antoine Wiertz
Antoine Joseph Wiertz was a Belgian romantic painter and sculptor.-Biography:Born in Dinant from a relatively poor family, he entered the Antwerp art academy in 1820...
in Brussels. He made a cultural journey through Germany that was well received. After the war he fled again to the Netherlands, where he received by letter the news of the death sentence pronounced upon him by the Belgian government in 1920. In the same year he travelled around the Netherlands with a small band performing his songs. Only after amnesty in 1929 did he return to Flanders for a short visit.
Fifty years after he death he was reburied in Deerlijk
Deerlijk
Deerlijk is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Deerlijk proper. On January 1, 2006 Deerlijk had a total population of 11,310. The total area is 16.82 km² which gives a population density of 673 inhabitants per km².-External...
. His place of birth there is now a museum. His book of songs and poetry De Noodhoorn, published in 1916, is listed in the Canon of Dutch Literature
Canon of Dutch Literature
The Canon of Dutch Literature comprises a list of 1000 works of Dutch Literature culturally important to Dutch Heritage, and is published on the DBNL. Several of these works are lists themselves; such as early dictionaries, lists of songs, recipes, biographies or encyclopedic compilations of...
.