Frans De Potter

Frans De Potter worked as an editor at the Beurzen-Courant from 1856 onwards and later on as chief editor at the Nieuwe Beurzen-Courant (1870-1871) and the Fondsenblad (1871-1878). Though he had become a member of the Flemish Liberal Committee in 1861, he was a candidate for the Catholic party during the municipal elections in Ghent in 1872. In 1874 he promoted the foundation of the Davidsfonds as a catholic counterpart of the liberal Willemsfonds. He was particularly involved in the foundation of its local Ghent division and was active as a board member. In 1878 he created the magazine De Vlaamse Wacht. For a short time he also had a job as deputy conservator at the National Archives department in Ghent, but was dismissed by the liberal government in 1878. On 08.07.1886 he was appointed secretary of the Royal Flemish Academy. His extensive oeuvre consists of numerous contributions to magazines, and publications such as his History of Dutch Literature, but also includes literary works and poetry.