Dutch Literature

Abstract

The literature of the Netherlands differs from that of the Flemish Belgians, which is treated in a separate section — though under the general heading of ‘Dutch’, for the two languages are very similar. Flemish was a Frankish dialect which after the sixteenth century fell into disuse and was revived by Belgian writers in the nineteenth century; these drew, however, on literary Dutch as well. The spelling of Flemish is more archaic than that of Dutch. Dutch is gaining ground amongst Flemish speakers, but the University of Ghent continues to be a centre of Flemish learning and literature. The two literatures are gradually coalescing; but important differences are still manifest.