Emiel De Visschere

Emiel De Visschere studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven where he doctorated in 1886. He acted within the radically Flemish catholic student associations. He was, for example, one of the founders of the Vlaamsche Strijdersbond (1886). He also joined the Landdagbeweging and edited De Vlaamsche Leeuw (The Flemish Lion) (1886). Having finished his studies De Visschere settled as a lawyer in Bruges, remaining active within the student movement. He was a cofounder and the first chairman (December 1886) of both the Oud-Hoogstudentenverbond van West-Vlaanderen (West-Flemish Former University Student Association) and the Katholiek Vlaams Studentenverbond (Catholic Flemish Student Association) (1890). He was a member of De Vrije Vlamingen (The Free Flemings), one of the most radical Flemish-minded associations in Bruges. After a fierce attack in their magazine De Klauwaert, he was expelled from the Brugean catholic circle La Concorde. Beside that he was the founder of the Vlaamse Gildenbond (Flemish guild union) in 1890), a member of the Sprekersbond (Speakers union), later to become the Christene Volkspartij (Christian People’s Party), and one of the founders, board members and the secretary (1897) of the Vlaamsche Katholieke Landsbond (Flemish catholic national union). He also acted as a member of the Brugean town council, committing himself to the labourers and to the introduction of Dutch language in the Brugean town council.