The ‘Maid of Ghent’ can be seen in various places around the city, but fewer and fewer people are familiar with the figure that has adorned the city’s coat of arms since 1991. “She first appeared as early as the 14th century. She is not a single person, but a symbol. She embodied both the rebellious city and nationalism,” says Nina Uelpenich of Ghent University, who has now delved into her history.
In the city centre, there are several references to the Maid of Ghent. There is the café ‘De Maecht van Ghent’ on the Korenmarkt, the Corn Market. Her image adorns the tower door of the post office building and the base of the statue of Jacob of Artevelde on the Vrijdagmarkt, the Friday Market.
Historian Nina Uelpenich researched the origins of the figure and the meanings it has taken on over the past centuries. “The very first mention dates back as far as the 14th century, in a poem by Boudewijn van der Lore. At that time, the Maid was a symbol of Ghent during a conflict with the Count of Flanders.”
From a figure of the Virgin Mary to a nationalist symbol
The female figure is based on the Virgin Mary. She does not refer to any real person. “Several cities were depicted as a virginal figure. They appear everywhere: in books, during ceremonies – in Ghent and elsewhere.” She is also a popular figure in works of art from that period.
‘Even during the Calvinist period – when idols were destroyed – she endured. She is no longer merely a Catholic symbol.’ When Napoleon came to power, most city maidens lost their significance. ‘In Ghent, however, there was a revival during the 19th century.’
“At the time of Belgium’s formation, the Maid was a symbol of the region’s medieval history. Images began to appear in which she is depicted waving the tricolour. She was the face of the illustrious past that was to shape Belgian identity. She became a nationalist figure.”
The female figure was used on posters advertising the 1913 World Exhibition in Ghent. In this way she also became an international symbol of Belgium during the period between the wars.
“Chosen to tell a particular story”
The Maid lost that significance in the decades that followed. “All sorts of maidens emerged, co-existing side by side: there is a liberal Maid of Ghent, a socialist Maid of Ghent… It really became a popular symbol that could serve any form of identity formation.”
“The Maid of Ghent shows how symbols are used to shape identity. This is not a fixed reality, but a construct. They are chosen and magnified to tell a story.” A story that still resonates today, for since 1991 the Maid has adorned Ghent’s official coat of arms.