- Staf De Clercq
Staf De Clercq (
September 16 ,1884 –October 22 ,1942 ) was a co-founder and leader of the Flemish nationalistVlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (Flemish National League, or VNV). He is mostly remembered for his fascist views, although he is somewhat a hero to currentfar right present inBelgium .Biography
He was born as Jeroom Gustaaf De Clercq in
Everbeek onSeptember 16 ,1884 .In 1936 his party gained 13.6% of the votes in Flanders, and 14.7% in 1939.
Welcoming of the Nazi German occupation, De Clercq naively believed it to constitute a chance for the creation of a "Diets state", an unprecedented (apart for the medieval Burgundian personal union)
Dutch language -based community uniting Flanders, theNetherlands and even the part of northern France with Flemish dialects (corresponding to French Flanders). Aside from this unlikely project, he was a violent anti-semite, and his organization supported the German occupiers in the identification and round-up ofJews for deportation.He died in
Ghent and was succeeded byHendrik Elias . In 1978 theVlaamse Militanten Orde , aneo-Nazi paramilitary group, had his body transferred to the cemetery inAsse .References
* "Belgian Fascism" by
R. H. Chertok (Washington University thesis, 1975)
* "Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 " edited byPhilip Rees (1991, ISBN 0-13-089301-3)External links
* [http://www.vlaamsblok.be/site_engels_11.shtml "A Short History of Flanders and the Flemish Movement"] from the
Vlaams Blok site. (Please note that "Vlaams Blok", recently renamed into "Vlaams Belang", is a party situated on the far right of the political spectrum).
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