The Willemsfonds was founded on 23 February 1851, for the promotion and support of the
Dutch language in
Flanders (northern
Belgium). It was founded by 31 people from
Ghent and 7 from
Brussels, and since 1868, its headquarters has been in the
Lakenmetershuis at the
Vrijdagmarkt in
Ghent. In its early days, both
Roman Catholics and liberals worked together within the organisation, even
Jean-Baptist David was a member of the Willemsfonds. When in 1870, the Roman Catholic Church opposed the non-denominational status of public education, the Willemsfonds sided with the liberals and the Roman Catholics, such as Jean-Baptist David left the organisation, and they founded the
Davidsfonds in 1875. Until 1976, the presidents of the Willemsfonds would come from
Ghent, such as its first president
Jules de Saint-Genois (1813–1867),
Ferdinand Snellaert,
Prudens van Duyse,
Frans Rens,
Jacob Jan Heremans, and
Julius Vuylsteke, to name a few. Over the years, it published the work of several Flemish authors, such as
Jan Frans Willems,
Reinaert de Vos and
Julius de Geyter,
Johanna Courtmans-Berchmans,
Tony Bergmann,
Cyriel Buysse,
Virginie Loveling,
Maurits Sabbe,
Paul Kenis,
Karel Jonckheere,
Marcel van Maele,
Willem Roggeman, and
Clem Schouwenaars. ==See also==