Polydoor Daniëls

Polydoor Daniëls was born in Diest on December 20th, 1845. He received his priest training at the seminaries of Sint-Truiden and Liège. After his ordination as a priest on June 3rd, 1871 he became a teacher at the college of Huy and the Saint-Roch college in Ferrières. Duet o his weak health he became house chaplain of baron de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck in Zolder, where he was offered a stimulating intellectual surrounding. Daniëls focused on historical and philological research. Together with August Cuppens and Jacob Lenaerts he founded the linguistic and folkloristic magazine “’t Daghet in den Oosten” (1885), strongly influenced by Gezelle, and supporting the Limburg student movement. As Gezelle read through its first years, Daniëls came into contact with him and stard contributing to Gezelle’s “Woordentas“ (Wordstack) and “Loquela”. E was a co-founder of “Het Befort”, “De Banier” and the historical magazine “L’Ancien Pays de Looz”. After baron de Villenfagne’s death in 1904 Daniëls was appointed director of the broeders van Liefde (Brothers of Charity) in Hasselt and principal of the Beguinage. In 1909 he became archivist and conservator of the Town Musueum Hasselt. In 1939 he retired and went to live in Hoeilaart, where he died on December 3rd, 1944.