Leuven

This article is a reflection on the 19th century story from 'A Dog of Flanders', written by Ouida (alias form Marie Louise de la Ramée). The story has been interpreted by Jan Corteel in 1983 who concluded the story took place in Antwerp. However, several indications in the story show that although Antwerp is featured in the story, the protagonists actually travel through several places in Belgium. This paper tries to identify the locations in the story and try to explain why these places are chosen by the Englis author of 'A Dog of Flanders'.

Publication in 'Leuven gebeiteld', in: Uit het Erasmushuis. Tijdschrift van de Alumni Letteren, 4 (2014), pp. 33 - 36.

De Tachtigjarige Oorlog was al twaalf jaar aan de gang toen in Amerongen de Reformatie werd ingevoerd. Het was Goert van Reede die als bij decreet het protestantisme oplegde aan zijn onderdanen. Die stonden niet te juichen, Maar de hoofdpersoon in deze historie is Goerts derde zoon Frederik (1550-1611). Totaal onvoorbereid volgde die in 1584 zijn vader op als heer van Amerongen. Hoe kwam dat tot stand? En welke invloed had zijn turbulente familieleven op zijn bestuurlijk functioneren?

The splendid art deco oeuvre created in the 1920s and 30s by monk and silversmith dom Martin is still a rather too-well-kept Leuven secret, even though his creations, executed in the most luxurious materials in cooperation with the famous firm Wolfers Frères and laquerwork artist Marcel Wolfers, were very much to international taste at the time. Until recently we knew of only about twenty realized designs. Detective work, which started with the original design sketches and archive photographs in Keizersberg Abbey in Leuven and the Silver Museum of the Province of Antwerp, brought to light magnificent new examples of his work and additional information about the artist’s clientele. Dom Martin received orders from members of the Belgian and French aristocracy, churches, monasteries and abbeys in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, even from as far afield as the United States of America and Brazil. On the other hand, the radical stylistic evolution of Jean Ausloos could be said to reflect the trends in Belgian silver design of the fifties and sixties. Whereas he initially fell in with the art-deco tradition, in the 1960s he came up with streamlined designs in which he played with contrasts in colour and texture. Ausloos’ clientele included a large number of young trainee seminarians and missionaries, who appreciated his individual, bespoke work. The work of both silversmiths illustrates the waves of innovation in ecclesiastical art between the world wars and after the Second Vatican Council. In terms of production, we are now aware of an interesting antithesis between Martin’s one-off pieces produced in an industrial way and Ausloos’ articles made by hand almost in series. As well as Martin and Ausloos, who are approached as representative of and as a case study for twentieth-century (Leuven) silver design, other smaller firms and independent silversmiths were active in Leuven. In conclusion, silverware produced in Leuven in the twentieth century – and the same applies to Belgium as a whole! – clearly requires further research. So the investigative work carried out for this exhibition should also serve as a springboard and incentive to take a close look at the fascinating work of designers and silversmiths in the last century. Published in: K. Goubert (ed.), Zilver: kunst, object, verhalen uit Leuven, exh.cat., Leuven (M - Museum Leuven), 2015, ISBN 9789082344707, fully illustrated, Dutch with English summaries.

Prelates, nobles and towns. The composition of the Estates of Brabant in the fifteenth century

Who were the members of the Estates of Brabant and could receive a summons letter for an assembly in the fifteenth century? In this study, I give an overview and an analysis of the composition of this representative institution on the basis of four undated summons lists. Given the importance of these lists for the political-institutional and social history of the Duchy of Brabant, a complete critical edition of the lists is the backbone of this study. Moreover, all listed persons are identified in brief biographical notes. New lists were composed by the ducal chancery on the occasion of major political events when the presence and participation of the (most powerful) representatives of the citizens was required. A closer examination showed that these summons lists were compiled on the occasion of the inauguration of Duke Anthony of Burgundy in 1406, the inauguration of Duke John IV in 1415 and to celebrate the peace concluded between Archduke Maximilian and the rebellious cities of Brabant in August 1489.  These lists, together with the Brabantine part of the convocation list for the Estates General of 1464, offer an overview of the  persons who were considered by their contemporaries as the political representatives of the three Estates: the clergy, the nobility and the Third Estate. This overview is then compared with the attendance at several important meetings of the Estates in the first quarter of the fifteenth century. To make the process of convocation yet more transparent, the lists are followed by a critical edition of some summons letters for the abbot of Park, Engelbert I of Nassau, lord of Breda, and the city of Antwerp.

This paper analyses the hierarchy and ranking of the towns of the Duchy of Brabant within the Estates, the principality's representative political institution. It seeks to answer the question why social and economic changes in the urban landscape were not, or only partly, refl ected in the political sphere. An analysis of a series of convocation lists of the Estates on the one hand, and subscription lists of charters on the other, make it clear that a distinction can be made between the towns and the so-called liberties, and that a neat territorial hierarchy is applied between these two categories. Although the four " capitals " and three other important towns headed the urban hierarchy, both as regards attendance and the order in which they were placed, there was certainly space for other minor towns, both ducal and seigniorial, to participate in the political arena. The ranking of a town implied certain rights and (fi nancial) obligations and was also expressed symbolically, for example in wine gifts and in seating arrangements at the meetings of the Estates. Whereas the formal political hierarchy within the Estates was quite rigid, other rankings of a military and fi scal character were subject to change.

Resumen: Este artículo analiza la jerarquía y el ranking de las ciudades del ducado de Brabante en su principal institución política representativa, los llamados Estados de Brabante El objetivo de este artículo es intentar buscar una respuesta a la pregunta de por qué los cambios sociales y económicos en las ciudades no se manifi estan de forma total o parcial en el ámbito político. El análisis de una serie de listas de convocatoria de los Estados demuestra que había una diferenciación entre las ciudades y las llamadas " libertades " , y que además dentro de estas dos categorías se aplicaba una jerarquía territorial. Aunque las cuatro 'capitales' y otras tres ciudades importantes están en la cabeza de la jerarquía urbana, tanto en lo que se refi ere a la parti-cipación como en el orden en el que están mencionadas, había espacio también para que otras ciudades más pequeñas participaran en el escenario político. El ranking de una ciudad llevaba consigo no sólo el disfrute de algunos derechos sino también el cumplimiento de algunas obligaciones, sobre todo de índole fi nanciera, y que se expresaban simbólicamente, como por ejemplo en las donaciones de vino y en el orden de prece-dencia durante las reuniones de los Estados. Aunque la jerarquía política dentro de los Estados por lo general era bastante rígida, otros rankings como por ejemplo los militares y fi scales sí estaban sujetos a cambios.

On May the 6th, Dieric Bouts, the great Leuven Flemish Primitive passed away. Althought Bouts is the only name in Leuven late gothic painting that still resonates today, it is unfounded to conclude that his passing extinguished Louvain painting altogether. Yet, for a long time there was a conviction that Louvain did not have much to offer artistically in the sixteenth century. How did this negative image of Louvain painting after Bouts came about. There are many reasons for this, of which the most important is the small amount of remaining artistic products from this period. Preconceptions such as a supposed lackof talent have also contributed to a lesser interest in the Louvain sixteenth century.
Who were the protagonists of this story? In which (art)historical context can we situate their work? Finally this article,which is an introductory chapter in the 'Getekend, Jan R.' catalogue (2012, Mercatorfonds) finishes with four artists that form an honor hedge for Jan Rombouts, who is the absolute master of this period in Louvain.

Na carta que aqui se publica, um jovem padre jesuíta educado nos colégios da Companhia de Jesus de Brabante faz um relato detalhado da vida no Colégio de Jesus de Coimbra, onde permaneceu alguns meses no ano de 1655, numa escala imprevista durante a sua viagem entre a Europa e o Extremo Oriente.
A descrição de Inácio Hartoghvelt oferece-nos uma visita guiada aos espaços da Companhia de Jesus de Coimbra (Colégio de Jesus, Colégio das Artes, Quinta de Vila Franca), permitindo-nos olhar para os edifícios pelo seu lado de dentro, dando-nos a oportunidade de vislumbrar as quase duas centenas de ocupantes nas suas atividades diárias. Inácio compara constantemente o colégio de Coimbra com os de Brabante, enfatizando a austeridade espartana em Coimbra. Alguns aspetos provocam o espanto do autor, revelando também a sua admiração e o seu respeito ao perceber que esta escala em Coimbra era a melhor preparação para as dificuldades que o aguardavam na sua missão na China.
Publicação bilingue: Português e Neerlandês

In de brief die hier gepubliceerd wordt, geeft een jonge jezuïetenpriester, opgeleid aan de colleges van de Societeit van Jesus in Brabant, een gedetailleerd verslag van zijn leven aan het Colégio de Jesus in Coimbra, waar hij in 1655 enkele maanden verbleef, tijdens een onvoorziene tussenstop op zijn reis van Europa naar het Verre Oosten.
Ignatius Hartoghvelt's beschrijving biedt ons een rondleiding door de ruimtes van de Societeit van Jesus in Coimbra (Colégio de Jesus, Colégio das Artes, Quinta de Vila Franca), waardoor we de gebouwen van binnenuit kunnen bekijken, en de kans krijgen om een glimp op te vangen van de bijna tweehonderd bewoners in hun dagelijkse bezigheden. Ignatius vergelijkt voortdurend het Colégio van Coimbra met de colleges van Brabant en benadrukt daarbij de Spartaanse soberheid in Coimbra. Sommige aspecten lokken de verbazing van de auteur uit en tonen ook zijn bewondering en respect omdat hij besefte dat deze tussenstop in Coimbra de beste voorbereiding was op de moeilijkheden die hem te wachten stonden tijdens zijn missie in China.
Tweetalige publicatie: Portugees en Nederlands

The development of the duchy of Brabant in the twelfth and thirteenth century has already been analysed by many diplomatic scholars. Nevertheless, the political discourses in the charters of the dukes have never been scrutinized before. Charters are written in a formal lexicological framework and do not seem to be the ideal sources for the study of political discourses. Still, discourse analysis can offer new
insights into medieval diplomatic studies and reveal “hidden” ideologies behind the structure of a charter. This contribution deals with the use of different identities (such as Lotharingia, Louvain and Brabant) in the ducal charters and how they contributed to the legitimate authority of the dukes. Furthermore, the authority of the dukes will be analysed related to other contemporary actors present in the charters (such as the
emperor, religious and urban communities) and their part in the territorial politics of the dukes.

Over Henric Haestens is op heel veel plaatsen iets geschreven. Maar een totaal overzicht ontbrak tot nu toe. In die lacune wil deze publicatie voorzien.

Over de familie van Henric Haestens is weinig bekend. En ook over de familie van zijn vrouw is weinig geschreven. Daarop wordt uitvoerig ingegaan.

Het werk van Henric Haestens is beter beschreven. Hij was drukker, maar ook zelf ‘auteur’ van boeken. Hij was mede de maker van ‘De Nassausche Laurencrans’.

Het vertrek van Henric Haestens naar Leuven is met raadselen omgeven. Daarin komt meer inzicht. Maar de bronnen zijn afstandelijk en geven slechts summiere feiten.

Hoewel er meer duidelijk wordt over de afkomst, de familie, de woningen en de financiën van Henric, moet in veel gevallen toch met waarschijnlijkheden geredeneerd worden.

In 1896 verscheen de 'Inventaire des archives de la ville de Gand. Catalogue méthodique général' van Victor Vander Haeghen. Joseph Cuvelier gaf dan weer zijn 'Inventaire des archives de la ville de Louvain' uit tussen 1929 en 1938, in vier delen. Allebei zijn deze werken nog in gebruik. Betekent dit dat in de ancien-régimearchieven van Gent en Leuven een ‘definitieve’ orde heerst? Dit artikel buigt zich over deze vraag. Na een problematisering van het ordebegrip en een korte geschiedenis van de stadsarchieven van Leuven en Gent in de negentiende eeuw, worden de toegangen van Cuvelier en Vander Haeghen met elkaar vergeleken. Allebei tonen ze de werking van een vernieuwende archivistiek, die internationaal vastgelegd in de 'Handleiding voor het ordenen en beschrijven van archieven' van S. Muller Fz., J.A. Feith en R. Fruin Th.Az. uit 1898.

Following a design science approach, this paper develops a framework of policy design principles for fostering technology entrepreneurship in a region. These principles are grounded in research findings and describe the factors and causal mechanisms that explain the founding and success rates of both corporate and academic spin-offs. We differentiate between principles that serve the creation of spin-offs versus those

The university town of Leuven was the scene in 1966 of a student revolt, comparable to those experienced in Paris or Berlin in 1968. In this work in progress I focus on the Flemish student revolt in Leuven, but examine beforehand two other major moments in national memories associated with traditions of revolt and uprising against an "established order" imposed by a foreign power. I evoke the time of the Beggars ("geuzen" in Dutch) and Tijl Uilenspiegel, under the reign of Philip II, then recall the 1830 revolution in Brussels. I also consider the occupation of the Free University of Brussels in May '68 following the events in Paris. Finally, my brief analysis of an ex-position on May '68 in Belgium prepared for the yearly festival of the PTB party shows how the "progressive" memory of the Belgian student uprising in 1966-1968 is being transmitted. This published work was presented at the colloquium "Europe and Counterculture" organised in October 2018 in Granada (Spain).

Wegens de sluiting van het Gruuthusemuseum reizen dit najaar dertig Brugse beeldhouwwerken naar M-Museum Leuven. Ze pronken er naast beeldhouwwerken uit de eigen M-collectie. Samen geven ze een beknopt overzicht van laatgotisch meesterschap (1350-1550).
Dit artikel verscheen in het Museumbulletin van de Musea Brugge (DRIEMAANDELIJKS TIJDSCHRIFT - 35STE JAARGANG OKT-DEC 2015)

Exhibitions: Lutheran Spring in Antwerp: Tolerance and Repression in the Sixteenth Century, Saint Andrew’s Church, Antwerp, Belgium; Luther @ Leuven 1517– 2017, Maurits Sabbe Library, KU Leuven, Belgium; and Updating a Thousand Year Old Text: Erasmus, a Reformer?, Erasmus House, Brussels, Belgium

In the late middle ages, the Brabantine city of Leuven was a regional production centre of sculpture that followed artistical trends being set in Brussels. The Leuven sculptors had a varied clientele and received commissions from far beyond the city walls. However, they were not organised in their own corporation and therefore did not apply a system of trademarks to allow quality control. The result was that in the archives many sculptors are known by name, but they can hardly ever be linked to a body of work. Conversely, many remaining sculptures cannot be attributed to a specific sculptor. This paper will discuss the case of two anonymous Leuven masters who were provisionally named in the 1970s and who have been assigned a body of works as their oeuvre: the Master of the Crucified Christ Figures and the Master of Christ on the Cold Stone. These notnames are filled with speculation, as the researchers that created these unknown masters made some methodological errors. Since the 197...

In the late middle ages, the Brabantine city of Leuven was a regional production centre of sculpture that followed artistical trends being set in Brussels. The Leuven sculptors had a varied clientele and received commissions from far beyond the city walls. However, they were not organised in their own corporation and therefore did not apply a system of trademarks to allow quality control. The result was that in the archives many sculptors are known by name, but they can hardly ever be linked to a body of work. Conversely, many remaining sculptures cannot be attributed to a specific sculptor. This paper will discuss the case of two anonymous Leuven masters who were provisionally named in the 1970s and who have been assigned a body of works as their oeuvre: the Master of the Crucified Christ Figures and the Master of Christ on the Cold Stone. These notnames are filled with speculation, as the researchers that created these unknown masters made some methodological errors. Since the 197...

In the late middle ages, the Brabantine city of Leuven was a regional production centre of sculpture that followed artistical trends being set in Brussels. The Leuven sculptors had a varied clientele and received commissions from far beyond the city walls. However, they were not organised in their own corporation and therefore did not apply a system of trademarks to allow quality control. The result was that in the archives many sculptors are known by name, but they can hardly ever be linked to a body of work. Conversely, many remaining sculptures cannot be attributed to a specific sculptor. This paper will discuss the case of two anonymous Leuven masters who were provisionally named in the 1970s and who have been assigned a body of works as their oeuvre: the Master of the Crucified Christ Figures and the Master of Christ on the Cold Stone. These notnames are filled with speculation, as the researchers that created these unknown masters made some methodological errors. Since the 1970s, research has barely progressed, and the notnames have often started to live a life of their own. This paper offers a different approach to analysing these sculptures and possibly re-grouping them, by showing that stylistic analysis and connoisseurship are only some of many tools and methodologies that can be used to research anonymous late gothic sculpture, such as technical research and cultural space contextualisation, the ultimate goal being to achieve a more nuanced and far richer image of the sculpture workshops active in Leuven around 1500, where the names or notnames of the sculptors are of lesser importance.

Key words: Brabant, Leuven, wooden sculpture, notname, workshop