{"id":14458,"date":"2024-11-15T22:50:07","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T21:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=14458"},"modified":"2024-11-15T22:50:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T21:50:07","slug":"is-the-dutch-language-making-a-comeback-in-brussels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/14458\/is-the-dutch-language-making-a-comeback-in-brussels\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Dutch language making a comeback in Brussels?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With over 100 different languages spoken, Brussels is considered to be one of the most multilingual cities in the world. Meanwhile the city\u2019s two official languages, French and Dutch, have been feuding over who takes the center stage. For centuries Dutch has taken the short straw and has been decreasing significantly. However, things seem to be changing as the Dutch language is making a comeback.<\/b><\/h3>\n

In Brussels, it’s hard to miss the bilingual nature of the city. Street signs, public transport, and governmental buildings display both French and Dutch. While this bilingualism may suggest an even balance between the city’s two official languages, the reality of daily life tells a different story. In most parts of the Brussels, French dominates as the primary spoken and written language.<\/p>\n

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Antoine Dansaert street in Brussels<\/p><\/div>\n

Even in the Flemish areas of the city, like the Dansaert neighbourhood, the Dutch language is in the minority. At the edge of Dansaert, which is considered to be the Flemish District, Caf\u00e9 Merlo can be found. \u201cAbout seventy percent of the guests here are Dutch-speaking,\u201d says caf\u00e9-owner Waldo, \u201cbut don\u2019t be fooled. This neighbourhood might be called the Flemish District, but that\u2019s really just a ceremonial name. Most of the shops in the neighbourhood are still French.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A disappearing language<\/b><\/h6>\n

Brussels was not always as it is today. \u00a0The city was once a predominantly Dutch-speaking city due to being situated in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking half of Belgium. This began to change when Brussels became the capital. A significant influx of people from Wallonia, the French-speaking half of the country, initiated what is known as the \u2018Francization of Brussels\u2019, establishing French as the city\u2019s dominant language. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Source: BRIO Taalbarometer Brussel<\/p><\/div>\n

This trend has continued through recent decades. According to the Language Barometer of Brussels the percentage of Dutch speakers has halved from 33,3% in 2001 to just 16,3% in 2018. Caf\u00e9-regular at Merlo, Sylvie, experiences this decline on a daily basis. \u201cI always speak French in shops and stores\u201d, she says. Ever since she left her Dutch speaking hometown of Eeklo to live in Brussels, a little over thirty years ago, the decrease of Dutch in the city has made an impact on her life as a healthcare worker:<\/span><\/p>\n