Staf Declercq (16 September 1884 – 22 October 1942) was a Flemish nationalist collaborator, co-founder and leader of the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

nationalist

Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond The (Dutch for "Flemish National Union" or "Flemish National League"), widely known by its acronym VNV, was a Flemish nationalist political party active in Belgium between 1933 and 1945.

(Flemish National League, or VNV).

Biography

He was born as Jeroom Gustaaf Declercq in

Everbeek Everbeek (French: ''Everbecq'') is a village situated in the Flemish Ardennes and in the Denderstreek in Belgium. In 1977, it was included into the municipality of Brakel. Although it is Dutch speaking, this village was part of the Walloon prov ...

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

on 16 September 1884. He was a member of the moderate

Frontpartij The ''Frontpartij'' (Dutch; "Front Party") was a Belgian political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people and their language. Originating from the earlier ''Frontbeweging'' ("Front Movement"), the ''Frontpartij'' w ...

, became party leader in 1932, and moved them to the right, converting them into VNV the following year. John T. Ishiyama & Marijke Breuning, ''Ethnopolitics in the New Europe'', Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998, p. 112-3 In 1936 his new party gained 13.6% of the votes in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

, and 14.7% in 1939. Welcoming of the

Nazi German Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

occupation, Declercq believed it to constitute a chance for the creation of a '' Diets state'', an unprecedented (apart from the medieval Burgundian personal union) Dutch language-based community uniting Flanders, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and even the part of northern France with Flemish dialects (corresponding to

French Flanders French Flanders (french: La Flandre française) is a part of the historical County of Flanders in present-day France where a dialect of Dutch was or still is traditionally spoken. The region lies in the modern-day region of Hauts-de-France and r ...

). His organization supported the German occupiers in the identification and round-up of

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

for deportation. He died in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

and was succeeded by

Hendrik Elias Hendrik Jozef Elias (12 June 1902 – 2 February 1973) was a Belgian politician and Flemish nationalist, notable as the leader of the Vlaams Nationaal Verbond between 1942 and 1944. Biography Elias was a noted academic, holding doctorates in bot ...

. In 1978 the

Vlaamse Militanten Orde The Order of Flemish Militants ( nl, Vlaamse Militanten Orde or VMO) – originally the Flemish Militants Organisation (''Vlaamse Militanten Organisatie'') – was a Flanders, Flemish nationalism, nationalist activist group in Belgium defending fa ...

had his body transferred to the cemetery in

Asse Asse () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. As of 2020, Asse had a total popula ...

References

Bibliography

* ''Belgian Fascism'' by R. H. Chertok (

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

thesis, 1975) * ''

Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 The ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890. It contains entries for what the author regards as "the 500 major figures on the ...

'' edited by

Philip Rees Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right. Works *'' Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester Pr ...

(1991, )

Footnotes

External links

''A Short History of Flanders and the Flemish Movement''
from the

Vlaams Blok ''Vlaams Blok'' ( en, Flemish Block, or VB) was the name of a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform.Erk, 2005, pp. 493-502. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence ...

site. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Declercq, Staf 20th-century Belgian criminals 1884 births 1942 deaths People from Brakel Flemish National Union politicians Members of the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium) Belgian collaborators with Nazi Germany Holocaust perpetrators in Belgium