The Liberaal Vlaams Verbond (E: Liberal Flemish League) was founded in 1913. From its origin it wanted to promote the

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 ...

cause and drew attention to social matters, within the Belgian

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. Together with the

Willemsfonds The Willemsfonds, named after Jan Frans Willems, is a non-profit cultural organisation founded in the 19th century to promote Flemish culture and language in Belgium. In order to achieve this goal, the organisation encouraged Flemish folk song, org ...

and the Liberaal Vlaams Studentenverbond, it is one of the Flemish liberal organizations.

History

The first attempt to create an organization which brings together the Flemish liberal politicians, seems to have happened in 1908. Julius Hoste Sr., Pol De Mont, Max Rooses, and

Maurits Basse Maurits Basse (5 September 1868 – 18 February 1944) was a Belgian writer and teacher, one of the founders of the Liberaal Vlaams Verbond. Basse was born at Ledeberg. He became a professor at the University of Ghent, where he remained until ...

were present at the meeting. In addition there were two liberal conferences for Flanders on 28 January 1912 and 5 October 1913. At the conference of 1913 it was decided that an organization would be founded to realise the program of the conference: liberal, Flemish and social. The first name which was proposed was ''Verbond van Vlaamsche Liberale Kiezerskorpsen'' and its first president was Emile De Puydt from

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 ...

. The first general assembly convened on 16 October 1913, and on this occasion the name ''Liberaal Vlaams Verbond'' (LVV) was decided upon. One of its co-founders was Julius Hoste Sr. (1848–1933), the founder of the liberal newspaper

Het Laatste Nieuws (''HLN''; ; in English ''The Latest News'') is a Dutch-language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of DPG Media, and is the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium. H ...

. Over the years, several Flemish liberal politicians, were/are member of the LVV, such as Julius Hoste Sr.,

Karel Buls Charles François Gommaire Buls (; 13 October 1837 – 13 July 1914) was a Belgian politician and mayor of the City of Brussels. Early life Charles François Gommaire Buls was born in Brussels as the son of a goldsmith from the region of Mechele ...

(1837–1914), Julius Hoste Jr. (1884–1954),

Herman Teirlinck Herman Louis Cesar Teirlinck (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, 24 February 1879 – Beersel-Lot, 4 February 1967) was a Belgian writer. He was the fifth child and only son of Isidoor Teirlinck and Oda van Nieuwenhove, who were both teachers in Brussels. As ...

Frans Grootjans Frans Edward Elisabeth Grootjans (24 January 1922 – 20 February 1999), was a Belgian politician and minister for the PVV. Grootjans was born at Wilrijk. He became a licentiate in the trade and consular sciences and was chief editor and dir ...

Willy De Clercq Willy Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq (8 July 1927 – 28 October 2011) was a Belgian liberal politician. De Clercq was born in Ghent, son of Frans de Clercq.Etat présent de la noblesse belge 2015, p. 62 After his law and notariat ...

, to name a few.

Members of the Board of Governors

President

* 1913: Emile De Puydt * 1914: E. Stubbe * 1919-1923:

Jules Somers Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). In the anglosphere, it is also used for females although it is still a predominantly masculine name.One of the few notable examples of a femal ...

* 1923-1926: Arthur Vanderpoorten * 1926-1928: Jean Sach * 1928-1934: Jules Boedt * 1934-1940:

* 1945-1957: Victor Sabbe * 1957-1966:

Herman Vanderpoorten Herman Vanderpoorten (; 25 August 1922 – 3 September 1984) was a Belgian liberal politician. He was a son of the politician Arthur Vanderpoorten, the father of Marleen Vanderpoorten and an uncle of Patrick Dewael. Education He obtained a law ...

* 1966-1967: Louis D'Haeseleer * 1968:

Karel Poma Karel Emiel Hubert, Baron Poma (14 March 1920 – 27 December 2014) was a Belgium, Belgian liberal and politician for the Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang, PVV. He was a son of Carolus Poma, who was a lieutenant of the Antwerp fire brigade ...

* 1969-1972:

* 1973-1974:

* 1974-1982: Louis Waltniel * 1982-1993:

Camille Paulus Camille Paulus (born 24 April 1943) is a Belgian lawyer and liberal politician. Education He graduated with a doctorate in law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in 1966. Career He succeeded Frans Van den Eynde as the mayor of Aartselaa ...

* 1993- : Clair Ysebaert

Secretary

* 1913-1914: Leo Van Hoorick * 1919-1923: Victor Heymans * 1924-1947: Marcel Stijns * 1948-1959: Piet Lenain * 1960-1996: Piet Van Brabant * 1996- : Oscar De Wandel

Chief editor of ''Volksbelang''

* 1960-1970: Piet Van Brabant * 1971-1990: Frans Strieleman * 1990-1996: Piet Van Brabant * 1990-: Bert Cornelis

Sources

* P. Van Brabant, W. Blomme, ''Als een vuurtoren, 85 jaar Liberaal Vlaams Verbond'', Liberaal Archief (1998)

External links

Liberaal Vlaams Verbond
{{Authority control Foundations based in Belgium Flanders Liberal organizations