Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

De Vlaamse Leeuw

Regional anthem of Flanders, Belgium From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

De Vlaamse Leeuw
Remove ads

"De Vlaamse Leeuw" (Dutch: [ ˈvlaːmsə ˈleːu] ; The Flemish Lion) is the official anthem of Flanders, a region and community in Belgium.[1][2]

Quick facts English: The Flemish Lion, Lyrics ...
Remove ads

Composition

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
Original manuscript[3]

The words of this anthem were written in July 1847 by Hippoliet Van Peene (1811–1864) who was clearly inspired by the song Sie sollen ihn nicht haben, / den freien Deutschen Rhein, / So lang sich Herzen laben / An seinem Feuerwein (They must never get our free German Rhine, As long as hearts relish its fiery wine) by the German author Nikolaus Becker.

The music, by Karel Miry (1823–1899), is apparently influenced by Robert Schumann's Sonntags am Rhein.

Like France's Marseillaise, De Vlaamse Leeuw is a nationalist battle song. Franco-Belgian political tension in the mid-19th century made the Flemish public mood ripe for such an expression of regional feeling. At the time, it was not meant as anti-Belgian (as it often came to be seen by Flemish separatists and their Belgicist opponents), for the "enemy" it refers to is Belgium's southwestern neighbour France, as in the 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs.

Around 1900, the anthem was in general use among Flemish militants.

On 6 July 1973, a decree by the then Cultural Council for the Dutch Cultural Community (the precursor of the present Flemish Parliament) proclaimed the first two stanzas to be the official national anthem of Flanders. The text and musical notation were officially published on 11 July 1985.


Remove ads

Lyrics

Summarize
Perspective

Only the first two stanzas and their refrains are performed.

More information Flemish original, English translation ...
Remove ads

See also

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads