Cyriel Verschaeve
Encyclopedia
Cyriel Verschaeve was a noted Flemish
-nationalist priest
and writer
who collaborated
with the Nazis
during the Second World War.
in West Flanders, Belgium
to a catholic family, he began training to be a priest at the minor seminary
in Roeselare
in 1886, before moving on to Bruges
in 1892 to complete his studies. He was finally ordained in 1897 and then continued his studies at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
.
He returned to Belgium in 1911 to become a parish priest at Alveringem
. Whilst here he became involved in the pacifist movement after the outbreak of the First World War and was involved in the building of the IJzertoren
.
Dismissed as chaplain in 1939, Verschaeve, who had long been sympathetic to Germany
, wrote Het Uur van Vlaanderen in 1940 in which he articulated feelings of sympathy amongst the Flemish people
for Nazi Germany
, especially because of his Romantic admiration for German imperial culture (Richard Wagner
). As a result he was appointed to a Nazi set up body to deal with Flemish culture after the occupation of Belgium. He also became involved with recruitment to the Flemish Legion
in 1941. Verschaeve was convinced the Soviet Union
was the greatest danger to peace and culture in Europe. In 1944 he held a meeting with SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
about the Flemish question, although it achieved little as the Allied
advance into Belgium was not far away and Flanders would soon be liberated from Nazi control. Verschaeve told Himmler at this meeting, that while he rejected Nazi paganism, he thought Nazism could become complementary to the salvific message of the Church, as long as it remained political and activist. Until the end of the successful Allied offensive against the Wehrmacht
in western Belgium
, Verschaeve continued calling upon young Flemish, Catholic, adolescent boys to volunteer in the Waffen-SS
foreign legions against Stalin and "Satanic Bolshevism".
He fled to Austria
in 1945 and, although condemned to death in absence by a Belgian court, survived there until 1949 when he died of a heart attack
at the vicarage of Solbad Hall
. He was buried in the Tyrolian town, although in 1973 members of the Vlaamse Militanten Orde
dug up his remains and reburied them in Flanders
(in Belgium
). He remains a celebrated figure amongst the more extreme ends of Flemish nationalism
and a symbol of disgraceful Flemish nationalism to French-speaking Catholics.
Apologist
historians found Verschaeve to be a Neo-Romantic
poet who remained consciously ignorant of Nazi tyranny, to avoid crushing his own beliefs in the superiority of Imperial German
19th century culture, which he saw reflected and defended even by Nazi Germany
. They also say his extreme fear of the "roaring Red Russian Lion" (communist Soviet Union
), made him give his consent to acts he would have rejected in normal, peaceful circumstances.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-nationalist priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who collaborated
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
with the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during the Second World War.
Biography
Born in ArdooieArdooie
Ardooie is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Ardooie proper and Koolskamp. In 2006 Ardooie had a total population of 9,147. The local inhabitants are called Ardooienaren.-Sights:* St...
in West Flanders, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to a catholic family, he began training to be a priest at the minor seminary
Minor seminary
A minor seminary is a secondary boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming priests. They are generally Roman Catholic institutions, and designed to prepare boys both academically and spiritually for vocations to the priesthood...
in Roeselare
Roeselare
Roeselare is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Roeselare proper and the towns of Beveren, Oekene and Rumbeke....
in 1886, before moving on to Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in 1892 to complete his studies. He was finally ordained in 1897 and then continued his studies at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena , is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany....
.
He returned to Belgium in 1911 to become a parish priest at Alveringem
Alveringem
Alveringem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Alveringem proper, Beveren a/d Yzer, Gijverinkhove, Hoogstade, Izenberge, Leisele, Oeren, Sint-Rijkers and Stavele. On January 1, 2006 Alveringem had a total population of 4,887....
. Whilst here he became involved in the pacifist movement after the outbreak of the First World War and was involved in the building of the IJzertoren
IJzertoren
The IJzertoren is a memorial along the Belgian Yser river in Diksmuide. There have been two IJzertorens, the first built after the First World War by an organisation of former Flemish soldiers...
.
Dismissed as chaplain in 1939, Verschaeve, who had long been sympathetic to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, wrote Het Uur van Vlaanderen in 1940 in which he articulated feelings of sympathy amongst the Flemish people
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
for Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, especially because of his Romantic admiration for German imperial culture (Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
). As a result he was appointed to a Nazi set up body to deal with Flemish culture after the occupation of Belgium. He also became involved with recruitment to the Flemish Legion
6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck
The 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck was a German Waffen-SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Flemish background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II....
in 1941. Verschaeve was convinced the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
was the greatest danger to peace and culture in Europe. In 1944 he held a meeting with SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
about the Flemish question, although it achieved little as the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
advance into Belgium was not far away and Flanders would soon be liberated from Nazi control. Verschaeve told Himmler at this meeting, that while he rejected Nazi paganism, he thought Nazism could become complementary to the salvific message of the Church, as long as it remained political and activist. Until the end of the successful Allied offensive against the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in western Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Verschaeve continued calling upon young Flemish, Catholic, adolescent boys to volunteer in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
foreign legions against Stalin and "Satanic Bolshevism".
He fled to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1945 and, although condemned to death in absence by a Belgian court, survived there until 1949 when he died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the vicarage of Solbad Hall
Hall in Tirol
Hall in Tirol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 12,700 .-History:...
. He was buried in the Tyrolian town, although in 1973 members of the Vlaamse Militanten Orde
Vlaamse Militanten Orde
The Vlaamse Militanten Orde or VMO – originally Vlaamse Militanten Organisatie – was a Flemish nationalist activist group in Belgium defending far-right interests by propaganda and political action...
dug up his remains and reburied them in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
). He remains a celebrated figure amongst the more extreme ends of Flemish nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and a symbol of disgraceful Flemish nationalism to French-speaking Catholics.
Apologist
Apologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
historians found Verschaeve to be a Neo-Romantic
Neo-romanticism
The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in music, painting and architecture. It has been used with reference to very late 19th century and early 20th century composers such as Gustav Mahler particularly by Carl Dahlhaus who uses it as synonymous with late Romanticism...
poet who remained consciously ignorant of Nazi tyranny, to avoid crushing his own beliefs in the superiority of Imperial German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
19th century culture, which he saw reflected and defended even by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. They also say his extreme fear of the "roaring Red Russian Lion" (communist Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
), made him give his consent to acts he would have rejected in normal, peaceful circumstances.