Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde is the winner of the 2003 Flemish Dissertation Award

(BRUSSELS, 13-12-2003) -- During the general assembly today, the Pascal Decroos Fund announced this year's winner of the prestigious Flemish Dissertation Award.

Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde was declared the winner and 2500 euro in prize money, thanks to his excellent dissertation 'Adellijke levensstijl', on the manners and customs of the nobility. Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde will graduate this year and receive his Master's degree in History at the Catholic University of Leuven.

 The jury was especially pleased with his style of writing and how he has created a beautiful image of the family of Livina de Beer (1656-1741), the countess of Bergeyck. Livina was the wife of Jan van Brouchoven (1644-1725), the second count of Bergeuyck and one of the most  prominent politicians in the South Netherlands at the end of the Spanish period.
Through the housekeeping journals of the noble lady he could  "take a peek through the velvet curtains and eavesdrop at the beautifully sculptured doors of Livina de Beer and her family".

The jury was surprized that De Vlieger-De Wilde corrected the caricatural image of the nobility. Apparently, the noble men and women had a tight control over their finances. De Vlieger- De Wilde has delivered a fascinating work. Not only did he analyze the archive really well, he also paid attention to analogous casestudies. His dissertation demonstrates that there was, unlike nowadays, a large degree of social warmth.

The four other nominees each received an 'encouragement prize' worth 250 euros: Julie Carlier (University of Ghent), Ann De Craemer (University of Ghent), Curt Claeys (Free University of Brussels (VUB)) en Isabel De Rycke (Karel de Grote University College).


The Pascal Decroos Fund received 109 entries that could qualify for the Dissertation Award. About forty stood out and eventually about 20 dissertations were selected. The jury was pleased with the general level of quality of all the entries.

© 2004 - Foto Kristof Clerix