Commemorative Plaque Brigandslag

Commemorative plaque of the Battle of the Brigand of 1798 on the Sint-Amanduskerk in Ingelmunster

Brigand is the name given by the French to the Flemish rebels who fought against the French occupying forces in the Boer War at the end of the 18th century. In the French language, brigand simply means highwayman.

The strict regime of the military occupation by the French (Defeat at Fleurus, 26.06.1794 - decree of 1 October 1795), the many confiscations, extra levies and the war loans, without the slightest participation of the local population, had made the French unpopular. There was a general climate of discontent.

The inhabitants of the former Southern Netherlands and of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège had become French citizens by this decree of 1 October 1795. All age-old private and public customs were abolished. In the Flemish and German regions, French was understood by only a minority and the expressions in official publications were virtually ununderstood.

The Law on General Conscription of September 5, 1798 (19 fructidor VI) required all young men between the ages of 20 and 25 to enlist in the French "liberation" army. General conscription was previously unknown, as armies consisted of volunteers supplemented by mercenary troops.

The people, under the slogan Voor Outer en Heerd, revolted against the sans-culottes. Placards (placards) appeared in the big cities on churches and public buildings with the text "Dutch! Stay together now, we must be steadfast."

The first incident occurred near Overmere (between Ghent and Dendermonde) on 12 October 1798. This was before the start date of the uprising (Thursday, October 25, 1798) as determined by the Brabant patriots, who had mediated and asked for support from foreign powers (the Netherlands, England, Prussia). After this fire at the fuse, incidents occurred all over Flanders, but they were soon suppressed. In Limburg, however, the rebellion could only be quelled months later with an overwhelming force through the Battle of Hasselt on 5 December 1798.

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