August Vermeylen
Who was August Vermeylen?
Belgian writer, man of letters, art historian, professor and politician (1872-1945)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on August Vermeylen (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
August Vermeylen was born on May 12, 1872, in Brussels and passed away on January 10, 1945, in Uccle. He was a Belgian writer, literary and art critic, professor, and politician involved in Flemish cultural activism, academic work, and socialist politics. He was dedicated to maintaining the Belgian state and ensuring the Dutch language received equal status.
Vermeylen studied history at the Free University of Brussels, where he later had his academic career. In 1893, he co-founded the literary journal "Van Nu en Straks" (Of Today and Tomorrow) during his youth. The journal was key to the Flemish cultural revival in the 1890s, connecting local culture with broader European ideas. This work made Vermeylen a prominent figure in Belgian cultural circles.
In 1901, he became a professor at the university, teaching literature and art history until 1923. He wrote extensively on literature and visual arts and published his only novel in 1906, "De wandelende Jood" (The Wandering Jew), which explored themes of restlessness and cultural identity. His writings influenced how Dutch-language literature and Flemish art were studied in Belgium.
Vermeylen was a member of the Belgian Labour Party, serving as a senator from 1921 until his death. He opposed Flemish activists who collaborated with German occupiers during World War I, seeing their actions as a betrayal of Belgium. He believed the Flemish cause should be pursued within a united Belgium. In 1930, he became the first rector of the Dutchified Ghent University, marking progress for Dutch-language education in Flanders. By 1938, he was vice-president of the Belgian Senate. The German occupation of Belgium in 1940 led to his removal from all official roles. He died in Uccle in January 1945, just before World War II ended. His son, Piet Vermeylen, later became a notable Belgian socialist politician.
Before Fame
August Vermeylen grew up in Brussels during the 1880s and early 1890s, a time of intense cultural change across Europe. In Belgium, there was ongoing tension about language rights for Dutch speakers, and young Flemish intellectuals wanted to connect their literary tradition with both local and European audiences. Vermeylen studied history at the Free University of Brussels, a place known for encouraging free inquiry and secular education, which influenced his way of thinking.
By his early twenties, Vermeylen was already at the heart of the Flemish cultural renewal movement. At just twenty-one, he helped start the journal Van Nu en Straks in 1893, making his mark as a dynamic editor and writer. The journal showed his belief that Flemish culture should move beyond being seen as local and engage more with European modernism, all while keeping a strong Dutch-language identity.
Key Achievements
- Founded the influential Flemish literary journal Van Nu en Straks in 1893, helping to modernize Dutch-language literature in Belgium.
- Appointed professor of literature and art history at the Free University of Brussels in 1901, a position he held for over two decades.
- Became the first rector of the Dutchified Ghent University in 1930, marking a landmark in Flemish linguistic and educational history.
- Served as a senator for the Belgian Labour Party from 1921 until his death, and rose to vice-president of the Senate in 1938.
- Published De wandelende Jood in 1906, the only novel in a body of work otherwise dominated by literary and art criticism.
Did You Know?
- 01.Vermeylen founded the literary journal Van Nu en Straks in 1893 at the age of twenty-one, making him one of the youngest major editors in Belgian literary history.
- 02.His only novel, De wandelende Jood (The Wandering Jew), published in 1906, used the legend of the eternal wanderer as a vehicle for exploring themes of cultural displacement and identity.
- 03.He was appointed the first rector of Ghent University after it was converted to a Dutch-language institution in 1930, a role that carried enormous symbolic weight for the Flemish movement.
- 04.Despite being a champion of Flemish cultural rights, Vermeylen publicly condemned Flemish activists who collaborated with German occupiers during World War I, distinguishing language rights from political separatism.
- 05.A cultural organization, the Vermeylenfonds, was named in his honor, continuing to support Flemish cultural and progressive causes after his death.