How did Jan Baptist David and Ferdinand Snellaert help rediscover medieval Flemish literature?

Jan Baptist David and Ferdinand Snellaert were instrumental in the 19th-century revival of Flemish nationalist consciousness. Working alongside other philologists such as Jan Frans Willems and Philip Blommaert, they focused on rediscovering and promoting the rich medieval inheritance of the region.1

By identifying and studying these historical texts, these scholars helped foster a renewed appreciation for the literary heritage of the Low Countries, which had previously been overshadowed by French influence or neglected by earlier humanists. Their efforts as philologists provided the intellectual foundation for the Romantic movement in Flemish literature, which sought to reclaim a distinct cultural identity through the study of the past.12