@article{kzm 72016, author = {Véronique Lambert}, title = {11 juli 1302: Van Guldensporenslag tot Feest van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap: de carrière van een middeleeuwse veldslag}, volume = {56}, year = {2002}, url = {https://openjournals.ugent.be/kzm/article/id/72016/}, issue = {0}, doi = {10.21825/kzm.v56i0.17586}, abstract = {<p>On 11 July 1302 the so-called ‘Battle of the Golden Spurs’ was<br>fought at Courtrai between French knights and Flemish foot soldiers. It<br>was one of the many battles in the war between Guy of Dampierre,<br>Count of Flanders, and Philip the Fair, King of France. Although this<br>battle was not inspired by feelings of national identity, the date (11 July)<br>was chosen in 1973 as the national feast-day of the Flemings.<br>In this article we try to explain how the unexpected victory of the<br>Flemish soldiers gave birth to a feeling of collective Flemish pride that<br>had its influence on the perception of the facts and eventually on medieval<br>historiography. Through the process of ‘invention of tradition’ the<br>‘Battle of the Golden Spurs’ became the symbol of Flemish resistance<br>against the French occupant. This is why Flanders still commemorates<br>the 11th of July, not because of what really happened, but because of<br>what historians thought that had happened.</p>}, month = {2}, pages = {59-70}, issn = {2736-2175}, publisher={Koninklijke Zuid-Nederlandse Maatschappij voor Taal- en Letterkunde en Geschiedenis}, journal = {Handelingen - Koninklijke Zuid-Nederlandse maatschappij voor taal- en letterkunde en geschiedenis} }