Julius Vuylsteke

Who was Julius Vuylsteke?

Julius Vuylsteke was a Belgian liberal politician and writer. He started his career as a lawyer, but later opened a bookshop. As a liberal Flemish politician, he founded the liberal association 't zal wel gaan, and he played an important role in the Flemish movement. Julius Vuylsteke promoted cultural cooperation of Flanders with the Netherlands. He became President of the Willemsfonds, and after his political career he gave his attention mainly to the history of Flanders. In 1867, he founded the Flemish weekly Het Volksbelang, which appeared for the first time on 12 January 1867. In 1867, Julius De Vigne was one of the editors together with Julius Sabbe, Jozef Van Hoorde, and Adolf Hoste.

Julius Vuylsteke wrote romantic Flemish nationalistic poems, while he was still a student, which were published in Zwijgende liefde and Uit het studentenleven en andere gedichten. In 1903, after his death, his political essays and poems were published in Klauwaard en Geus.