Letter of Edward Van Robays to Guido Gezelle
Van Robays sends Gezelle a booklet entitled “Open Letter to Mr. Visart, Mayor of Bruges” by Odilon Périer containing three Dutch translations of the regulations concerning the city slaughter house, drawn up in French : one by the city service, one in “decent Flemish” by Dr. Van Steenkiste, member of the town council, and one by Périer. Périer is an advocate of Hollandish Dutch and in his publication he criticizes the West-Flemish language particularism. Van Robays asks Gezelle to comment on Périer’s publication so as to enable Van Steenkiste to publish a reply.
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Eugène Van Steenkiste
In 1886 there was a polemic concerning the Dutch translation of the French slaughterhouse regulations. Brugean civil services had translated the French regulation into Dutch, but Van Steenkiste had also translated them into "decent Flemish". Mayor Visart was troubled by the double version and contacted Odilon Périer to set things straight. Périer was a devotee of the Hollandish Dutch language and Van Steenkiste of the West Flemish language. The version of the city services was somewhere in between. Périer rejected Van Steenkiste's version and made a third translation. Van Steenkiste reacted negatively, as a result of which Périer published the three translations criticizing Van Steenkiste.
Amedée Visart de Bocarmé
Amedée Visart de Bocarmé became mayor of Bruges on February 18th, 1876 and continued to hold this office until his death. The Bruges city administration was mainly French. Mayor Visart promoted the use of Dutch for the administration. In 1886 a polemic arose concerning the Dutch translation of the French regulations of the city slaughterhouse. Mayor Visart contacted Odilon Périer for a final translation.
Odillon Périer
Odillon Périer was a lawyer and judge in Dendermonde. As a reporter for the legislative chamber, he became involved in a conflict with Eugène Vansteenkiste in 1886 about what kind of Dutch should be used in the Bruges administration. Périer was a devotee of the Hollandish Dutch language and rejected Van Steenkiste's version. He made his own translation, a third one. Van Steenkiste reacted negatively, as a result of which Périer published the three translations criticizing Van Steenkiste.
