Belgium. Flemings and Walloons. Medieval Cities of Flanders

A visitor traveling through Belgium could hardly fail to notice that people in the northern part of the country speak Dutch, while those in the south speak French. The Dutch-speaking Flemings, who live in the northern region of Flanders, make up about 55 per cent of the Belgian population.

The French-speaking Walloons, who live in the southern region of Wallonia, make up about 30 per cent of the population. Although the capital city of Brussels is located in Flanders, both languages are spoken there. The language difference has been a source of political and economic conflict between the two regions for more than 150 years.

Roots of the conflict. The conflict began in 1830, when Belgium achieved independence and French was recognized as the new nation's only official language. The Flemings were poorly represented in the Belgian government, and many Dutch speakers protested the domination of Belgium by French speakers. The Walloons also dominated the nation economically. Between 1830 and 1870, heavy industry developed rapidly in Wallonia, and it became one of Belgium's major economic centers.

In the late 1800's, the Flemings won recognition of Dutch as the nation's second official language. However, conflict between the Flemings and the Walloons continued into the 1900's as each group sought to advance its own economic and cultural interests.

Signs in Dutch and French in Brussels indicate the nation's bilingual status.

Tensions between the two groups increased during the 1 960's. The Flemings held mass demonstrations to demand political equality and cultural independence. And in the 1970's, energy crises caused a decline in industrial Wallonia's wealth, and high unemployment followed. As a result, the economic and political balance shifted to the Flemings.

Mass demonstrations held in the 1960's signified the tensions between the Flemings and the Walloons.

The situation today. In 1971, Parliament revised the Constitution to divide the nation into three cultural communities: Dutch speakers, French speakers, and German speakers. About 1 per cent of Belgians speak German, and live near the German border. Each com-munity was given its own cultural council, which must approve all legislation dealing with language, education, or other cultural matters. The revised Constitution also set up three economic regions in Belgium: Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Finally, in 1980, the Belgian government granted limited self-rule to Flanders and Wallonia.

Today, the Belgian government and most businesses use both French and Dutch. In Flanders, schools teach in Dutch. And language-based political parties have an important influence on Belgian politics.

The Mons region of French-speaking Wallonia, left, reflects the decay of a declining industrial area. Since the 1960's, Wallonia has lost its commercial dominance over Flanders.

Many problems remain, however, especially in the realm of economics. The conflict between the Flemings and the Walloons hinders the cooperation needed to deal with Belgium's high rate of unemployment and low rate of economic growth.

Antwerp's Grote Mark! flourishes in the newfound prosperity of Flanders. During the 15OO's, Antwerp's harbor helped the city become one of the richest trading centers in the world. Today, the harbor at Antwerp is still among the world's largest, and the city also benefits from the petrochemical plants established in Flanders.

Medieval Cities of Flanders. Until 1830, Flanders was a political unit that included areas that are now part of France and the Netherlands as well as the northern half of Belgium. During the Middle Ages, Flanders was one of Europe's most important economic centers, largely as a result of its cloth-making industry. The area's position at the crossroads of trading routes to the south and east also contributed to its development. The wealth of the merchant class that settled in Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, and Ostend is still reflected in these cities.

Ostend, right, is a popular seaside resort as well as one of Belgium's major seaports. A fortified town in the 1500's, Ostend became a fashionable resort in the late 1800's.

Ghent. Ghent, which lies at the fork of the Schelde and Leie rivers, has been the capital of Flanders since the 11OO's. By the 1400's, the city was one of the most important trading towns in the Hanseatic League and the center of the Flanders cloth trade.

Ghent, below, was once the medieval capital of Flanders and an important art center. The city's St.Bavon Cathedral contains the famous Ghent Altarpiece, painted by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck in the 1400's.

For many years afterward, however, Ghent's economy was destroyed by revolutions and war. The cloth industry eventually revitalized the city's economy in the 1800's. Ghent is connected to the North Sea by a ship canal built in 1886, and the city now ranks as Belgium's second largest seaport.

Ghent's historic buildings, particularly the guildhalls that line its squares, testify to its former position as a great commercial city. Ghent was also a renowned art center, and numerous paintings, including many by famous Flemish artists, hang in its churches and museums.

The city's medieval buildings, along with some 200 bridges spanning its waterways, make a timeless setting. The fortified castle of’s Gravensteen, which overlooks Ghent, presents an excellent view of the city's old section.

Bruges. From 1240 to 1426, Bruges was one of the most important cities in Europe. As a member of the Hanseatic League, Bruges rivaled the great trading empire of Venice. Ships carrying cloth, silks, gold, salt, and spices sailed directly into the port at Bruges via an inlet that connected the city with the North Sea. Much of the wealth of the city, however, came from the wool trade, which Bruges essentially monopolized.

The view of Bruges from above shows why many people consider it to be the most beautiful city in Belgium. Filled with historic buildings and threaded by picturesque canals, Bruges has preserved much of its medieval past.

The city's importance decreased as the Hanseatic League declined and the inlet dried up. Bruges finally experienced an economic revival in the 1900's, due to the construction of the Bruges maritime canal and the expansion of the port of Zeebrugge.

Waterways, above, link the historic lacemaking town of Mechelen with other communities of northern Belgium.

Today, although Bruges is an important lacemaking center, tourism has replaced trade as the city's major economic activity. Thousands of visitors come to Bruges to see the magnificent buildings dating back to the Middle Ages and their beautiful carvings and paintings. Such buildings include the Market Hall, built in the 1200's, and the city's Gothic town hall, built in the 1300's. The many bridges that cross the network of canals gave the city its name — Bruges means bridges.