Young Belgium

Belgian literary society

Also known as: Jeune Belgique

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June 17, 2026

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La Jeune Belgique was an influential Belgian review published from 1881 to 1897, edited by Max Waller. It gave its name to a literary movement that aimed to foster a distinct Belgian literary consciousness and move away from outdated Romanticism.1

While not a formal school, the movement was associated with internationally recognized poets such as Maurice Maeterlinck, Émile Verhaeren, and Max Elskamp. The review also served as a platform for writers dedicated to the concept of "art for art's sake". Notable novelists linked to the movement included Camille Lemonnier, Georges Eekhoud, Eugène Demolder, and Georges Rodenbach.12

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Belgian literature
The Jeune Belgique movement
Impetus for the long-awaited literary renaissance came from Max Waller, founder in 1881 of an influential review, La Jeune Belgique (“Young Belgium”), which suggested a national literary consciousness; in reality, however, the review was the vehicle of expression of individual writers dedicated…
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Impetus for the long-awaited literary renaissance came from Max Waller, founder in 1881 of an influential review, La Jeune Belgique (“Young Belgium”), which suggested a national literary consciousness; in reality, however, the review was the vehicle of expression of individual writers dedicated…
Read More

Henri, Count Carton de Wiart
…of the Jeune Belgique (Young Belgium), a nationalist literary movement, he wrote historical novels and treatises held to depict a uniquely Belgian national spirit.
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…of the Jeune Belgique (Young Belgium), a nationalist literary movement, he wrote historical novels and treatises held to depict a uniquely Belgian national spirit.
Read More