Jan Derk Domela Nieuwenhuis (Flemish nationalist) and Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis - cult hero's from the period of ideology and idealism in Europe

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: Jan Derk Domela Nieuwenhuis (Flemish nationalist) and Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis - cult hero's from the period of ideology and idealism in Europe : Case text: : De Vlaamse beweging wordt van voor de oorlog voorbereid. Het is de Friese dominee Jan Derk Domela Nieuwenhuis Nyegaard, de neef van de beroemde socialist, die reeds in 1903 naar Gent was gekomen op vraag van hoogleraar geschiedenis Paul Frederick, die de kar zal trekken. Nieuwenhuis wierp zich op als woordvoerder van de pan-Germaanse liga. De Duitse groot-industrieel Krupp leidt deze liga. Krupp en een aantal andere grote kapitalisten zoals Thyssen willen de annexatie van wat zij ‘traditioneel Germaanse gebieden’ noemen. Het gaat om Nederland, de Vogezen, Noord-Frankrijk tot aan Normandië en… uiteraard België. In september 1914 wordt in deze kringen beslist België tot militair protectoraat van het Duitse Rijk te maken. België moet een zogenaamde ‘zelfbesturende kolonie’ worden en strikt volgens de taalgrens gescheiden worden. Nieuwenhuis komt dus in naam van deze pan-Germaanse liga naar België en zal er de Vlaamse beweging in zijn beginperiode leiden. Onder zijn impuls wordt ‘Vrij Vlaanderen’ gesticht met een aantal jonge, reactionaire, meestal katholieke Vlamingen. Zij zullen de geschiedenis ingaan als de ‘activisten’ die van de bezetting – en met steun van de bezetter – gebruik zullen maken om te ijveren voor een ‘onafhankelijk Vlaanderen’. : : +++ Jan's analysis : Jan Derk Domela Nieuwenhuis : Jan Derk was a person who was warmhearted churchman, actively helping the poor, whose Flemish nationalism was stirred at World War I, when the Belgian officer corps was Wallonic (French speaking) and the poor soldiers who were send to their death were mainly Flemish. He thereafter started thinking of the Germans as allies to free the Flemish from French suppresion. Because he wasn't so much aware that he could get the death penalty for his idea's he had to fly to Holland in a rush when he was sought by the Belgian authorities. He was a chaotic person, a vegetarian (which was a very odd thing in the Interbellum period). As so many of todays New Age persons he had a typical 19th century romantic longing for the pre-industrial period when people were more willing to help each other even when they didn't get money for it. This widespread nationalitistic romanticism came with anti-semitism too. However he was not the kinda person who wanted to exterminate jews like the nazi's wanted. Jan Derk was the family's genealogist who was fascinated by the Danish roots; in prison he learned Danish and even changed his name into the original Danish version. He was also open to Celtic art and culture. : Classification: Idiosyncratic Style. : : Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis : Uncle of Jan Derk. Internationally famous ex-preacher and anarcho-socialistic idealistic/ visionary reformer, thinker and philosopher; who contrary to his equally flamboyant nephew was more an abstract mindman; didn't see any into practically helping the poor. Sharp analyzer of what was wrong with society during the early 19th century and seeing what needed to be corrected for society to become an harmonious unity. He reminds me of Bakunin. Ferdinand had a definite realistic-melancholic tinge on him and very intensive feelings paralleled his sharp rational mind. When his first wife had died because of the birth of a child he said; 'My future has gone'. Bitterness on 'God's injustices' made him turn his back to the church and become an anarchist. When the Palace of Peace was opened in The Hague in 1913 he commented; 'Now war can start'. He hated the money driven society and would have been very unhappy in todays ultra capitalistic society. : Classification: could be Serious -or Conscientious - Style. : Both Ferdinand and his nephew and friend Jan Derk are still cult hero's; Jan Derk for Flemish nationalists who put their yellow flag with black lion on his grave in Holland every year. Ferdinand is honored by the anarcho-socialists and their is a little museum in Amsterdam in his honor. : : Jan : : (PS; the photo shows the most famous of the two men; Ferdinand)

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