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André Demedts

1906-08-08 – 1992-11-04

Portrait of André Demedts
Picture taken at "Paasfoor" in Kortrijk in Belgium in 1922-1924. André Demedts The Gentleman at the steering wheel is the young Flemish writer André Demedts (Sint-Baafs-Vijve (Wielsbeke) 1906 - Oudenaarde 1992), son of Maurits Demedts and Celesta Vandenhende and grandson of Ivo Demedts; Gabriëlle Demedts The lady standing behind him (left side of the picture, dark hair and dark dress) is his sister Flemish writer Gabriëlle Demedts (Sint-Baafs-Vijve (Wielsbeke) 1909 – Kortrijk 2002); Michel Achiel Renatus Declercq The Gentleman seated in the back of the car is Michel Achiel Renatus Declercq (Wielsbeke 1906 - Deerlijk (Sint Lodewijk) 1963), son of Ernest Constant Declercq and Marie Eldodie Devenyn and grandson of Ivo Declercq and Mathilde Van den Broucke, married to Irma Helena Lesage (Moorslede 1905 - Kortrijk 1953), daughter of Emile Theophile Lesage and Eudoxie Romanie Lammens; Michel Achiel Renatus Declercq is the grandfather of Belgian Physicist and Georgia Tech Professor Dr Nico Felicien Declercq (Kortrijk (Belgium), 27 December 1975) and Belgian Musician Dr Françoise Renilde Irma Vanhecke (born on 19 November 1957 at Kortrijk, Belgium. Maria Antoinette Gerarda Declercq The lady standing in the back, wearing a white blouse, is Maria Antoinette Gerarda Declercq (Wielsbeke 1904), Michel Declercq's elder sister who would become a nurse; Rachelle Gabriëlle Declercq The lady standing to the right, wearing a white scarf, is Rachelle Gabriëlle Declercq (Wielsbeke 1912 - Anzegem 2007), also Michel Declercq's sister. Rachelle would later become a school teacher. Esther Ernestina Godelieve Declercq (Sister Ernestine) The youngest lady, sitting in the front next to André Demedts, is Esther Ernestina Godelieve Declercq (Wielsbeke 1915 - Anzegem 2011) who would later become a school director, a French teacher and a catholic Sister (als known as Sister Ernestine Declercq of St Vincent de Paul); She has been a teacher at Anzegem’s primary school and secondary school on general subjects and particularly French and Music. From 1943 until 1958 she has been a school Director at Ingooigem in Belgium.[1] Simultaneously she has worked at the Women’s jail (Dutch: “kleine Refuge” and “grote Refuge”) of Sint Andries near Bruges. On November 18, 1958, when she was 43 years old, she became a Missionary at Uvira in Congo where she taught French classes. After having been taken hostage at Uvira, she returned to Belgium where she became the school Director at Mannekensvere while she continued her Jail Ministry. At the end of her career she lived at the monastery of Anzegem, then at Vichte before she spent her final years at a home for elderly persons “Woon- en Zorgcentrum Ter Berk” at Anzegem. Because of her educational role and because of her captivity in Congo, Sister Ernestine has been well-known. Sister Ernestine’s intelligence and empathy have always been very much appreciated by everyone and enabled her to play a crucial role in negotiating with the rebels at Uvira during her captivity in Congo.[2] In 1964 the East of the Republic of Congo was afflicted by the Simba Rebellion. A group of Belgian and Italian Sisters were taken hostage by rebellion leader Gaston Soumaliot.[3] The Sisters have been forced to hard labor and numerous atrocities were reported by news agencies all over the world.[4] Uvira, near the border with Burundi was a supply route for the rebellions. Sisters being taken hostage was a dramatic turn for the new Republic of Congo that has been widely covered by newspapers all over the world[5] and that was strongly condemned by the United Nations. On October 7, 1964 the Religious Sisters have been liberated.[6] From Uvira they have escaped on the road to Bukavu from where they returned to Belgium by airplane.[7] Judith Declercq Judith Declercq (Wielsbeke 1918 - Waregem 2007), who is not in the pciture, is the youngest daughter of the Declercq family. She was the provincial president of the Belgian National Child Welfare organisation[8] and a lecturer and co-founder in 1937 [9] at the Nurse Training Institute 'Maria Middelares' that would later become 'Hoger Instituut voor Verpleegkunde',[10] associated with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Kulak in Belgium. Valentine Alida Declercq The lady in between the two gentlemen is Valentine Alida Declercq (Wielsbeke 1910 - Olsene 1939), also a sister of Michel Declercq. Farmers and flax merchants The families Declercq and Demedts lived at two farms just 2 kms separated from each other in Wielsbeke (farm Hof van Brussel, Reynaertstraat) - Sint-Baafs-Vijve (farm Elsbos, Drogenbroodstraat).Credit: Michel Achiel Renatus Declercq (1906-1963)

Life & Legacy

André Demedts ((Wielsbeke), 8 August 1906 – Oudenaarde, 4 November 1992) was a Belgian Flemish writer and teacher. He has published works in many genres, all in Dutch.
In 1962 he received the Prijs voor Letterkunde van de Vlaamse Provincies (Literature Award of the Flemish Provinces) for his work De levenden en de doden (The living and the death). In 1976 he received the award in honour of his life-time career. In 1990 he has received the Award "Driejaarlijkse Staatsprijs voor literatuur" to honour his career as a writer. In 1970 the award André Demedtsprijs was established to reward persons engaged in the cause of the large Dutch/Flemish cultural development with a main purpose to integrate and entangle cultural activities in the Netherlands, Flanders and South Africa.

Occupation & Career

poet, writer, politician, teacher

Legacy Highlights

Organizations & Memberships

Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde

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Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q437450 — wikidata View source

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