Jan Heem

Who is Jan Heem?

Jan Heem was a Flemish craftsman and politician. In fact, he is the third and missing man on the statue of Jan Breydel en Pieter de Coninck at the Market of Bruges.

When the rebels in march 1302 took over the city of Bruges, he was appointed as mayor. He was a simple guildsman who was often seen at the side of Pieter de Coninck. During the periode 1323 - 1328 and at the Battle of Cassel, Jan Heem was one of the leaders of Bruges.

When in 1867 the first Breydel-Conninc commission was founded, Jan Heem was forgotten. Hendrik Conscience had forgotten to mention Jan Heem in his famous novel "The Lion of Flanders" thus few people knew who Heem was, let alone that he participatedas a leader in the uprisings in Bruges at that time. In many subsequent publications, and in the Breydel-Coninck year in Bruges is 1987, there was still no mention of him.