Defending French in Flanders, 1873-1974 : Palgrave Macmillan : 9783031109164 : 3031109163 : 29 Dec 2023 : This book examines the efforts of the French-speaking minority in Flanders, Belgium, to maintain a legal and social presence of the French language in Flemish public life. Chronologically, the study is bookended by two developments, almost exactly a century apart. In 1873, the first laws were passed which regulated the use of language in public administration in Flanders, challenging the de facto use of French among the Flemish ruling class. One hundred and one years later, the last French daily newspaper in Flanders collapsed, reflecting the death of a once vibrant French-speaking community. The author argues that the methods and arguments by which French speakers defended the role of French in Flemish public life changed along with the social and political situation of this minority. As the Flemish movement grew over the course of the twentieth century, appeals for the ?free choi