This week sees a major inter-disciplinary conference at the University of St Andrews exploring the relationship between Scotland and Flanders during the medieval and early modern period.
Throughout the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, the development of foreign trade and the systematic introduction of continental aristocracy brought a pronounced Flemish flavour to Scotland’s culture, the effects of which are easily perceived even today. On Thursday and Friday, a series of plenary and parallel sessions will examine this influence through the various disciplines of history, art, archaeology and genetics, led by some of the most distinguished scholars in their fields, drawn from universities across Scotland, Ireland and Belgium. Keynote speakers will include Dr David Ditchburn of Trinity College Dublin, Professor Jan Dumolyn of the University of Ghent and Professor Richard Oram of the University of Stirling.
Themes will include Flemish migration into Scotland, trading connections and diplomatic relations, taking in topics as diverse as family origins, place names, politics and even the game of golf, all of which provide ongoing testimony to the historic links between our two peoples. The conference will include new doctoral and post doctoral research which hasn’t been previously revealed.
The conference is open to academics, students and interested members of the public, for a fee of £100 for the two days. Click on https://flemish.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2015/12/18/scotland-and-the-flemish-people-conference/ for full details of the programme and registration.