Germans, German Belgians, German-Speaking Belgians

Abstract

Belgium comprises two groups of German speakers, who are geographically separated from one another and who do not share the same historical background. One group has enjoyed Belgian citizenship ever since the establishment of the Belgian state in 1830, and resides in the northeast of the province of Liège and in the east of the province of Luxembourg. The second group is to be found in the utmost eastern part of the province of Liège (Eupen, Malmedy and St. Vith). This region became a part of Belgium in 1920 following the Treaty of Versailles, although the explicit wish of the population was to remain German. In 1940, Eupen, Malmedy and St. Vith, but also “Montzener Land” were reincorporated into Germany. They became Belgian again in 1945. Each change of citizenship brought with it painful experiences which uprooted these people and deeply affected their sense of identity. Since the 1970s, the federalization of the Belgian state has given the second group of German-speaking Belgians a political, linguistic and cultural anchorage. During the last two decades, a sense of regional identity and individuality has emerged among them, which has also received a European dimension.