Author
Born: Antwerpen 3-12-1812
Died: Elsene 10-11-1883

Conscience is the most important representative of  romanticism in Flanders.  Conscience's masterpiece, the epic De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (1838; The Lion of Flanders, 1853-1857), recounts the victories of the Flemish municipalities and militia over the French in a 14th-century battle at Kortrijk, Belgium.

Conscience wasn’t only the most important reviver of the Flemish literature in the 19^th century, he also promoted the awakening of the Flemish community as a nation within the Belgian nation. He also tried to awake this through a political party with a Flemish programme.