Day of the Flemish Community
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Day of the Flemish Community | |
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Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium |
The Day of the Flemish Community of Belgium (Dutch: Feestdag van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap) is an annual commemoration in the Flemish Community in Belgium on 11 July which marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag) in 1302.[1]
History
In 1302 the French king Philip IV sent an army to punish the Flemish citizens of Bruges, who earlier that year rebelled against the king and attacked the French governor of Flanders (the so-called Good Friday of Bruges).
The French army was composed of about 2,500 knights and squires, supported by about 5,500 infantry. The Flemish, in contrast, fielded a town militia force of 9,000 consisting mostly of infantrymen.
The two forces clashed on 11 July in an open field outside the Flemish city of
The battle was romanticised in 1838 by Flemish writer
Declaration
Following the establishment of the three
Ever since then the Day of the Flemish community is observed in Flanders. Private employers are not required to award a day's holiday; however the institutions of the Flemish Government and public employers observe this holiday.
See also
- Franco-Flemish War (1297–1305)
- History of Belgium
- Public holidays in Belgium
- French-speaking Community Day
- German-speaking Community Day
References
External links
Media related to Day of the Flemish Community at Wikimedia Commons
- Detailed history of the Battle of Golden Spurs Archived 2011-05-14 at the Wayback Machine