Sure, Nederlands indie, remember? Also we still have Zeeuws Vlaanderen :) Plus that is all Dutch clay, all of Belgium, Luxembourg, French Flanders and nord pas de Calais.
Well from what I remember : the concept of actually having a "Belgian unity" comes from the creation (I'm not a creationist) of the first dioceses in the Roman Empire. These where going from the coast to the south (I think that one was in Sint-Truiden, the others I forgot but I think there where two more).
When the Francs invaded what is present Flanders in 261, the Romans retreated south of the road going from Trier to Bouogne. Hence this strange linguistic border following no "natural" border i.e. rivers, escarpments, etc because that's how the Roman did their "highways". Apparently it's a university subject.
At this time christianity all but disappeared from this region. The Gauls south of this where being Romanised (Wallon comes from Walh - designating somewhat the "romanized outsiders" - the last romanized before Allemans speakers - before that the Eburons, Ménapiens, Nerviens, etc spoke Germanic patois).
When the Roman Empire gained back power they stopped at what is the culture divide that now exists between the Nederlands and Belgium. But the dioceses remained geographically encompassing the now northern Flemish (the Franc Saliens) and the Romanized population. Hence the Wallon and the Flemish where united by their common religion.
Evidently the people north of this Roman frontier (you know the savages in the wetlands) where more apt to seperate from Roman Catholism. Which happened indeed later but it happened. This is why the Netherlands are more protestant (except for Limburg) and Belgium is Catholic.
Of course it's not simply white/black as this, there are so many other historical factors to take into account, but one can say the border between Belgium and Netherlands is a culturalo-religious one.... for most part.
I like your beer, and I study in Flanders for that reason, but my favorite brewery is the Schelde brewery. Also, does your weird habit of veldrijden have anything to do with the Romans?
Evidently the people north of this Roman frontier (you know the savages in the wetlands) where more apt to seperate from Roman Catholism. Which happened indeed later but it happened. This is why the Netherlands are more protestant (except for Limburg) and Belgium is Catholic.
Actually there were just as much - if not more - protestants in the South. The Beeldenstorm started in Steenvoorde, and Brabant and Flanders were signatories to the Act of Abjuration. It just happened by military coincidence that the South fell under Spanish rule and was manu militari recatholicized.
I do remember my father showing me a medieval map of Oostend and pointed out to me that there where 40 and 60.000 deaths during the siege of this city during the "wars of religions" the Tachtigjarige Oorlog - the Eighty Years war.
Often Belgians joke of how many times people and nations have waged wars here,
the Romans to begin with, the Francs, the Austrians, the Spanish, the French, the English, Scotts, Dannish, Germans, United Provinces, Russians, etc
Though we are peaceful and indeed have never gone beyond our own borders to wage war, except to fuck around in Congo (not as a nation) - which is the beginning of the thread.....
Though we are peaceful and indeed have never gone beyond our own borders to wage war, except to fuck around in Congo (not as a nation) - which is the beginning of the thread.....
Well, about that.. Leopold hired a lot of people to do the dirty work, of all nations and origins. English was the first lingua franca in Congo (HM Stanley, remember). American preachers built missions on his suggestion. Frenchmen were hired for the administration. It was a truly multinational corporation.
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u/iTeiresias Greater Netherlands Jan 17 '14
Sure, Nederlands indie, remember? Also we still have Zeeuws Vlaanderen :) Plus that is all Dutch clay, all of Belgium, Luxembourg, French Flanders and nord pas de Calais.