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Geuzenhoek : identity and coexistence in a protestant enclave in early modern Flanders

Roman Roobroeck (UGent)
(2024)
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Abstract
In the heart of early modern Flanders, amidst the pervasive dominance of Catholicism, a distinctive region defied the prevailing religious landscape, harbouring a resilient Calvinist community known as the Geuzenhoek. Situated in the countryside east of Oudenaarde, in villages like Sint-Maria-Horebeke, Mater, and Etikhove, this enclave steadfastly maintained its Reformed tradition throughout the seventeenth century and beyond. Against the backdrop of the prevailing trend of catholization in the Habsburg Netherlands, the Geuzenhoek emerged as one of the few surviving Protestant bastions within an otherwise predominantly Catholic territory. This doctoral dissertation meticulously traces the extraordinary journey of the Geuzenhoek from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, unravelling the mystery of how this minority community not only endured but flourished. Employing an entangled microhistorical lens, the narrative delves into the lives of Geuzenhoek villagers within the broader interconnected context of the Low Countries. Through this approach, the thesis explores the forging of a distinct confessional identity and the use of coexistence strategies to navigate and resolve local conflicts. In doing so, the thesis reveals the Geuzenhoek Protestants to exhibit exceptional resilience in the early seventeenth century, showcasing identity flexibility and strategic use of nicodemism to navigate challenges within their predominantly Catholic environment. The latter half of the seventeenth century witnessed the community capitalizing on geopolitical shifts, seizing opportunities to establish new confessional customs and progressing from mere survival to a phase of thriving. By the eighteenth century, they had successfully disentangled themselves from the Catholic community, evident in ceremonies surrounding pivotal life events like marriage and baptism, marking the complete confessionalization of the community. A crucial aspect of this transformative journey was the formalization of a ‘connivance’ framework in the eighteenth century. This transition from a system of informal coexistence based on implicit boundaries in the seventeenth century to a more structured form of officially recognized condoning illustrates a compelling parallel with developments in the Dutch Republic, despite significant differences in the size of confessional minorities between the two regions. By providing a nuanced perspective on the complexities and resilience of Protestant identities beyond the transformative sixteenth century, “Geuzenhoek: Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders” challenges prevailing historical narratives that often neglect post-Reformation Protestantism in the Habsburg Netherlands. Rooted in archival sources and enriched by an exhaustive engagement with existing scholarship, this dissertation significantly contributes to our understanding of religious life in early modern Flanders. It unveils a captivating story of dynamism within a Protestant minority, thereby enhancing our comprehension of the broader tapestry of European religious history.
In het hart van het vroegmoderne Vlaanderen, te midden van de alomtegenwoordige dominantie van het katholicisme, weerstond een opmerkelijke regio de heersende religieuze normen. In de dorpen Sint-Maria-Horebeke, Mater en Etikhove in het oosten van Oudenaarde, floreerde een veerkrachtige gereformeerde gemeenschap bekend als de Geuzenhoek. Deze enclave handhaafde vastberaden haar gereformeerde tradities gedurende de zeventiende eeuw en daarna, te midden van de algemene trend van katholisering in de Habsburgse Nederlanden. De Geuzenhoek kwam daardoor naar voren als een van de weinige protestantse bolwerken in een overwegend katholiek gebied. Dit proefschrift volgt nauwgezet de opmerkelijke reis van de Geuzenhoek van de zeventiende tot de achttiende eeuw en ontrafelt het mysterie van hoe deze minderheidsgemeenschap niet alleen standhield, maar ook gedijde. Met behulp van een ‘vervlochten’ microhistorische benadering onderzoekt de scriptie het leven van de Geuzenhoek-bewoners binnen de bredere context van de Lage Landen. Het proefschrift werpt licht op de creatie van een eigen confessionele identiteit en het gebruik van co-existentie-strategieën om lokale conflicten te beheersen en op te lossen. Daarmee onthult het proefschrift dat de Geuzenhoek-protestanten in het begin van de zeventiende eeuw uitzonderlijke veerkracht vertoonden, waarbij identiteitsflexibiliteit en nicodemisme werden ingezet om uitdagingen binnen hun overwegend katholieke omgeving aan te gaan. In de tweede helft van de zeventiende eeuw profiteerde de gemeenschap van geopolitieke verschuivingen, waarbij ze kansen benutte om nieuwe confessionele gebruiken te vestigen en zich te ontwikkelen van overleven naar bloei. Tegen de achttiende eeuw maakte de Geuzenhoek zich succesvol los van de katholieke gemeenschap, zoals bleek uit ceremonies rond cruciale levensgebeurtenissen zoals huwelijk en doop, wat de volledige confessionalisering van de gemeenschap markeerde. Een cruciaal aspect van deze transformatie was de formalisering van een gedoogbeleid in de achttiende eeuw. Deze overgang van een informeel samenleven op basis van impliciete grenzen in de zeventiende eeuw naar een meer gestructureerde vorm van officieel erkend gedogen vertoont interessante parallellen met ontwikkelingen in de Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden. Ondanks significante verschillen in de omvang van religieuze minderheden tussen de twee regio’s, zijn er dus opmerkelijke gelijkenissen waar te nemen. Door een genuanceerd perspectief te bieden op de complexiteit en veerkracht van protestantse identiteiten na de transformerende zestiende eeuw, daagt “Geuzenhoek: Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders” heersende historische narratieven uit die het protestantisme in de Habsburgse Nederlanden na de Reformatie vaak over het hoofd zien. Geworteld in archiefbronnen en verrijkt door een diepgaande betrokkenheid bij bestaand onderzoek, draagt dit proefschrift aanzienlijk bij aan ons begrip van het religieuze leven in het vroegmoderne Vlaanderen. Het onthult een boeiend verhaal van dynamiek binnen een protestantse minderheid en verbetert daarmee ons begrip van de bredere context van Europese religieuze geschiedenis.
Keywords
coexistence, confessional, identity, Geuzenhoek, religion, confessionalization, Catholicism, Reformation, confessionalism, minority, Flanders, Habsburg Netherlands, Oudenaarde, Horebeke, Sint-Maria-Horebeke, religious, Reformed, Protestant, Protestantism, Calvinism, toleration, connivance, confession-building, Sas van Gent, Dutch Republic, Vlaamse Olijfberg

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Citation

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MLA
Roobroeck, Roman. Geuzenhoek : Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders. Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, 2024.
APA
Roobroeck, R. (2024). Geuzenhoek : identity and coexistence in a protestant enclave in early modern Flanders. Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent, Belgium.
Chicago author-date
Roobroeck, Roman. 2024. “Geuzenhoek : Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Roobroeck, Roman. 2024. “Geuzenhoek : Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy.
Vancouver
1.
Roobroeck R. Geuzenhoek : identity and coexistence in a protestant enclave in early modern Flanders. [Ghent, Belgium]: Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy; 2024.
IEEE
[1]
R. Roobroeck, “Geuzenhoek : identity and coexistence in a protestant enclave in early modern Flanders,” Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent, Belgium, 2024.
@phdthesis{01HPCA4PQNM4FFBZ6PKTD4MK3E,
  abstract     = {{In the heart of early modern Flanders, amidst the pervasive dominance of Catholicism, a distinctive region defied the prevailing religious landscape, harbouring a resilient Calvinist community known as the Geuzenhoek. Situated in the countryside east of Oudenaarde, in villages like Sint-Maria-Horebeke, Mater, and Etikhove, this enclave steadfastly maintained its Reformed tradition throughout the seventeenth century and beyond. Against the backdrop of the prevailing trend of catholization in the Habsburg Netherlands, the Geuzenhoek emerged as one of the few surviving Protestant bastions within an otherwise predominantly Catholic territory.
This doctoral dissertation meticulously traces the extraordinary journey of the Geuzenhoek from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, unravelling the mystery of how this minority community not only endured but flourished. Employing an entangled microhistorical lens, the narrative delves into the lives of Geuzenhoek villagers within the broader interconnected context of the Low Countries. Through this approach, the thesis explores the forging of a distinct confessional identity and the use of coexistence strategies to navigate and resolve local conflicts.
In doing so, the thesis reveals the Geuzenhoek Protestants to exhibit exceptional resilience in the early seventeenth century, showcasing identity flexibility and strategic use of nicodemism to navigate challenges within their predominantly Catholic environment. The latter half of the seventeenth century witnessed the community capitalizing on geopolitical shifts, seizing opportunities to establish new confessional customs and progressing from mere survival to a phase of thriving. By the eighteenth century, they had successfully disentangled themselves from the Catholic community, evident in ceremonies surrounding pivotal life events like marriage and baptism, marking the complete confessionalization of the community.
A crucial aspect of this transformative journey was the formalization of a ‘connivance’ framework in the eighteenth century. This transition from a system of informal coexistence based on implicit boundaries in the seventeenth century to a more structured form of officially recognized condoning illustrates a compelling parallel with developments in the Dutch Republic, despite significant differences in the size of confessional minorities between the two regions.
By providing a nuanced perspective on the complexities and resilience of Protestant identities beyond the transformative sixteenth century, “Geuzenhoek: Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders” challenges prevailing historical narratives that often neglect post-Reformation Protestantism in the Habsburg Netherlands. Rooted in archival sources and enriched by an exhaustive engagement with existing scholarship, this dissertation significantly contributes to our understanding of religious life in early modern Flanders. It unveils a captivating story of dynamism within a Protestant minority, thereby enhancing our comprehension of the broader tapestry of European religious history.}},
  author       = {{Roobroeck, Roman}},
  keywords     = {{coexistence,confessional,identity,Geuzenhoek,religion,confessionalization,Catholicism,Reformation,confessionalism,minority,Flanders,Habsburg Netherlands,Oudenaarde,Horebeke,Sint-Maria-Horebeke,religious,Reformed,Protestant,Protestantism,Calvinism,toleration,connivance,confession-building,Sas van Gent,Dutch Republic,Vlaamse Olijfberg}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{XX, 254}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Arts and Philosophy}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{Geuzenhoek : identity and coexistence in a protestant enclave in early modern Flanders}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}