2023-05-09 14:58:31
The “Canon” of Flanders is out. This kind of Flemish identity bible commissioned by the Flemish government gives an overview of the essential elements of the history, culture and society of the north of the country. Where does this idea come from and what will it be used for?
Despite its warlike name, the “Flemish cannon” is not a new weapon. At the request of the Flemish government, a committee of experts spent two and a half years compiling a list of cultural and historical references to determine what represents Flanders today.
From the battle of the Éperons d’Or to the fixing of the linguistic border, passing through “Le plat pays” by Jacques Brel, these experts have selected 60 “windows” that stretch from the last ice age to contemporary diverse Flanders.
Model inspired by the Netherlands
The Flemish government of Jan Jambon (N-VA) included the realization of this gun in its government agreement in 2019. And this idea does not come from nowhere: it is inspired by similar work carried out in the Netherlands and in Denmark.
In 2006, the Netherlands created its own canon, in the form of fifty thematic windows available on the Internet. Charlemagne, Charles V, William 1st… Everything is available online.
In Denmark, the then Minister of Culture presented his plan for a cultural canon in 2004, and the following year the Ministry of Culture set up various committees to select the works to be listed. Finally, the danish cultural canon published in 2006 includes a total of 108 works divided into eight categories: architecture, visual arts, design and crafts, cinema, literature, music, performing arts and children’s culture.
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