In 1884, the first issue of the Ghent socialist daily newspaper Vooruit appeared. The paper had four pages, cost 2 centimes, and had a circulation of 2,340 copies. Almost 50 years later, Vooruit had grown into a widely read newspaper with a strong Ghent character, prominently featuring art and culture alongside political and social reporting. Well-known figures like Frits Van den Berghe, Richard Minne, and Louis Paul Boon gave it an extraordinary presence. This exhibition offers a retrospective of Vooruit's history and, through it, almost 100 years of the socialist movement, full of surprising insights.
For example, did you know that:
- Edward Anseele Sr. was jailed for six months for an article in Vooruit, and was hailed as a hero upon his release.
- Vooruit campaigned for universal single-member suffrage and for the 8-hour working day.
- The belongings of editor-in-chief Ferdinand Hardijns were sold publicly on the Vrijdagmarkt.
- Richard Minne was expelled from the socialist party, but returned as editor and writer of the legendary Letters of Pierken in Vooruit.
- With the bankruptcy of the Bank of Labor, it lost its main sponsor.
- Louis Paul Boon said goodbye to Vooruit with the words: "I'm so very sorry, but it's over, over, the end, fin, the end."
- Vooruit continued to appear during WWII, but was in the hands of collaborators who even published a false Letter from Pierken.
- Jan Hoet once drew a comic strip for Vooruit and Kamagurka made his debut as a comic strip artist in Vooruit.
- In 1974, Vooruit staff occupied the Het Licht buildings, marking the start of an ultimate renovation operation.
Dagblad Vooruit 1884-1978 tells us about this and so much more
The entire Dagblad Vooruit 1884-1974 project is supported by the Flemish Community, the Gerrit Kreveld Foundation, the City of Ghent, Ghent Culture, the Moyson Association, P&V, and ABVV-East Flanders.
