EAST-BELGIUM, WHERE THE 'LAST REAL BELGIANS' LIVE

Much has been said on the ever-quarrelling Flemish and Walloon communities of Belgium without mentioning that actually there exists a third one as well: a German-speaking one, situated on a small stripe of land in the province of Liège, bordering Germany. Overshadowed by their bigger Flemish and Walloon counterparts, the 75,000 Ostbelgier live a discrete and modest life: ‘We should not make ourselves more important than we are’.

By now we are already familiar with the fact that Belgium is a county embodying the border between the Roman and the German heritage of Europe. This is most clearly illustrated by the fact that the country is literally divided in two big linguistic and cultural communities: Flanders and Wallonia. Next to its French-speaking part however, Wallonia also incorporates a German-speaking community which is less known. History accounts for this strange reality. For centuries the currently German-speaking Belgian region has been dominated by different invaders. The Treaty of Versailles signed after the Great War finally appointed the region to Belgium and from 1925 on, the East Cantons are an integral part of Belgium. During the Second World War however Hitler annexes the area, and only since 1945 it is Belgian again.

But how is it to belong to this German-speaking minority? Joel Arens, German-speaking Belgian and European Studies student, explains: “I like it to be a German-speaking Belgian. I feel being free in this country. We are autonomous within the Belgian state, have an own parliament, a government, the legislative power on cultural, human related and educational issues and even a guaranteed seat in the Belgian Senate and the European Parliament. We are better protected then every other minority in the world. Sometimes it is a bit more difficult. We don’t have a university for example, so we have to come here or go to Wallonia or Germany, but I think it is something special and I am glad I have this mother tongue. I think I can live anywhere in Belgium with it, or I could go to Germany. I personally think that we are a kind of ‘basic-Europeans’: we are a real border region and we benefit  from Europe.”

BYE BYE BELGIUM?
In spite of this however, the German-speaking community would like to see some things changed. “In the province of Liège there is a bit of a difference in mentality between the German speakers and the French speakers. Liège is the only bilingual province of Belgium, and since the province has more or less the same competences as the community, the German-speakers would more or less like to separate from it, in order to be much more effective.” Would the East-Cantons then want to become an independent state? “Well, I have to say that I have never heard a single politician of our Region stating that he wants to say goodbye to Belgium”, Joel says. “So, gone with the province of Liège, yes, more independence from the Walloon region, yes, but gone with Belgium: no.” The German-speakers, often called ‘the last real Belgians’ are however not entirely satisfied with Belgium either. Joel: “We have to adapt everywhere in this country, and we do, but I think this is in a way regrettable. I really feel sorry that we are not accepted more. On the other hand, we should not make ourselves more important than we are.” If Belgium would fall apart because of the quarrels of the two bigger Flemish and Walloon communities, the German-speaking community however would have the most to lose. “We would not know where to go in case that ever happens,” Joel says. “Are we going to join Flanders because of having cultural similarities? Are we going to join the Netherlands? Or are we going back to Germany, but then the question will be whether the Germans want us back. Would we go to Luxembourg? Or would we join Wallonia? The last option would be to become independent, but the liveability of that is questionable. My preference really would be Belgium.”

THE LAST REAL BELGIANS
Statements such as the latter might have been the reason why the German-speaking Belgians are often referred to as ‘the last real Belgians’. Joel thinks it is a funny expression and says that in order to fully grasp its meaning, something should be known on the history of the East Cantons. “We are effectively the last Belgians that have joined the country with the Treaty of Versailles in the 1920’s, but actually it refers to us being the last Belgians that will remain in the end. We are the ones having most benefits of the existence of Belgium. We cannot be independent without giving up at least part of our identity. We identify ourselves with Belgium too, we are German-speaking Belgians, not Germans. So, Belgium is a part of our identity.” With Germany the East-Belgians maintain a kind of hate-love-relationship. “We are no second-rate Germans, but linguistically and culturally we have a lot in common. Ethnically we are actually Germans and we are a part of all the different German cultures that exist.”

Wiser again on this complex but fascinating country, I say Joel goodbye. While parting he gives his card and I see the mail address of this Belgian guy remarkably ends with ‘.de’. Hmm, strange… |