Karel Lodewijk Ledeganck (

Eeklo Eeklo () is a Belgium, Belgian Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises only the city of Eeklo proper. The name ''Eeklo'' comes from the cont ...

, 9 November 1805 –

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, 19 March 1847) was a

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

writer. He was of humble origin, but became extraordinary Professor at the

University of Ghent Ghent University (, abbreviated as UGent) is a Public university, public research university located in Ghent, in the East Flanders province of Belgium. Located in Flanders, Ghent University is the second largest Belgian university, consisting o ...

. He started his career as a clerk, then became a judge, and school inspector before he came to teach at the university. In 1836, he published the poem ''Het klavier'' ("the keyboard"), but he made his actual debut in 1838, with the poems in ''Bloemen mijner lente'' ("flowers of my spring"). His initial work was strongly influenced by the English and French Romantic movement, and more specifically by

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

and

Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869) was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist, he became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, aligning more w ...

, in contrast to his later poems, which were rather pessimistic. With his ''Drie zustersteden'' of 1843, dedicated to the cities of

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

and

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, which was called the poetic gospel of the

Flemish movement The Flemish Movement (, ) is an umbrella term which encompasses various political groups in the Belgium, Belgian region of Flanders and, less commonly, in French Flanders. Ideologically, it encompasses groups which have sought to promote Flemis ...

, he achieved a breakthrough. In this trilogy he showed himself to be the best Flemish poet of his generation. In his, now somewhat exalted or melancholic, style he proclaimed his love for the Flemish people and his belief in their future. The Karel Lodewijk Ledeganckstraat in

was named after him. The Ledeganck Campus of sciences of

Ghent University Ghent University (, abbreviated as UGent) is a Public university, public research university located in Ghent, in the East Flanders province of Belgium. Located in Flanders, Ghent University is the second largest Belgian university, consisting o ...

is located here.

Sources

Karel Lodewijk Ledeganck
(Dutch) 1805 births 1847 deaths Flemish writers Flemish activists Belgian writers {{Belgium-writer-stub

See also

Sources