Katholiek Studentencorps te Brussel (KSC Brussel)
KSC Brussels unites Leuven students who hail from Brussels.
Contents
History
In June 1924, festivities took place in Brussels' Rue Haute to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Pieter Breughel. Some humanities students, after the inspiring discovery of the Marolles and its drinking establishments, decided to set up a small circle to get to know the old, folk, Flemish Brussels together. The circle was named Die Ghesellen van den Drancke and meetings took place at the home of one of the ghesellen or at a Brussels inn.
A year later, five of the six ghesellen were studying in Leuven so their initiative took on the character of a Leuven student club. Under the leadership of Mon De Goeyse, the name of the club soon became Bezem-Lovania-Brussel or BLB for short. Those first club years were years of searching and changing: the club colours, the name of the club, the monogram, the role in Leuven student life, the introduction of the club names, funding, board positions, etc. But gradually everything fell into solid folds and the membership grew steadily to a provisional high of 40 during the second lustrum year.
Since BLB had its field of activity in Brussels, it did not join the Brabantse Gilde in Leuven. However, this does not alter the fact that a number of commilitones from BLB were elected guild praeses in the early 1930s. In fact, guild life in those years was characterised by a high degree of membership mixing within the clubs, so that the club that could assert the most influence within the Guild could also more or less annex the rest of the clubs.
This club was one of the pioneers of traditional student life in Leuven. Already in the third club year, the regulations of the Bierkomment were strictly adhered to in order to ensure the smooth running of the club evenings. These regulations were reproduced in the Clubcodex in 1935. BLB was one of the co-founders of the Seniorenkonvent Leuven (SK-Leuven) in 1929 and also acted as a model club there.
During the last years before the war, the atmosphere in BLB was influenced by the various Flemish political tendencies. Moreover, the novice table was filled with students of the first Flemish rhetorics from the St Peter's College in Jette. These young students were willing to work for the revival of their language and culture in their capital city.
At the start of the occupation, the urge for renewal also asserted itself in the bosom of BLB, and members expressed a desire for broader, more general student activity. During the war years, however, conditions were not always favourable: rationing meant that beer was of significantly poorer quality, due to a lack of food and coal, courses were held only from Tuesday to Friday, and because of the curfew, traditional balls were replaced by Thé-Dansants. In 1941, the club gained a sister association for girl students when the Vlaams Studenteninnenverbond voor Groot-Brussel was founded. It was decided to set its sights more on Brussels and in 1942 Bezem Lovania Brussel left the Leuven coordinating structures. The calendar of activities was considerably expanded and the number of members rose to over 150. This explosive growth caused BLB to change into the Brussels Studenten Corps (BSC) at the end of 1944, led by Leo Lindemans. The corps' activities were henceforth organised by seven conventions:
- Breughelconvent (club life)
- Sint-Goedeleconvent (female students)
- Egmontconvent (politics)
- Erasmusconvent (culture)
- Rusbroecconvent (religion)
- Sint-Michielconvent (sports and entertainment)
- Anneessensconvent (social engagement)
The membership magazine Egmont first appeared in 1944, while the former-members' magazine Hoorn was distributed every two months since 1950.
In 1948, the statutes were amended again and the name was changed to Katholiek Studentencorps te Brussel. The KSC continued on its chosen path and by the end of the 1950s the record number of over 180 members was recorded.
Since 1952, the Breughelconvent was represented back in the Leuven structures through the Brabantse Gilde and the Seniorenkonvent. The goedelkes (girls from the Sint-Goedeleconvent) were also welcome at guild activities. From the 1950s, activities also gradually moved from Brussels to Leuven, although the real club nights continued for a long time in Brussels. Well-known personalities such as Ernest Claes, Jan Grauls, Walter Kordes, Monsignor Honoré Van Waeyenbergh and Ernest Soens were appointed commilitones honoris causa.
At the beginning of the 1960s, however, the democratisation of education brought about real upheavals in student life: the larger numbers of students led to an acute shortage of rooms and, moreover, the new student mass also created a new mentality where individualism and opportunism reigned supreme, so that clubs no longer represented a substantial part of student life. Moreover, the Brussels colleges began to set up their own student associations.
In 1975, on the eve of the tenth anniversary celebrations, the 150-member mark was passed for the third time in the corps' history. Less than a year later, an Antwerp majority broke away and founded Omnia, leaving the corona with only 22 members. Still, the archival documents show that club life was not given up: they rolled and cantussed, celebrated carnival, quizzed and played cards, skated and hiked, and the whole club even left on weekends from time to time.
With the 1986 amendment of the Brabantse Gilde statutes, the KSC officially replaced Bezem Brussel here as a club. In 1995 and 1997, the Sint-Goedeleconvent was still involved in the establishment of the Meisjesseniorenkonvent Leuven (MSK-Leuven).
Over the years, the KSC has experienced the undulations in the student landscape: periods of boom alternated with lesser periods, which was often expressed in the fluctuating number of members.
Meanwhile, the KSC celebrated its 18th Lustrum in 2015, which fittingly included a visit to Chamber and Senate, an academic session with guest speaker Rector Magnificus Rik Torfs and a gala ball in the Warande.
This shows that after ninety years, the circle is closed and the KSC is still building on where BLB once started. In a contemporary way, it is still working on the lore of traditional student life.
Colours
The first club colours were Light Blue-White-Light Blue but already during the second club year, Green-Red-Green was chosen with Red as the main colour.
On the left half of the club shield, the broom of Ons Hageland was adopted while the right half was filled in with the club colours and the Zirkel. From 1944, this shield would only be used by the Breughelconvent while the Corps designed a new one. This was divided into four with the club colours and the Zirkel on the top right, the Brabant lion on the bottom right, St Michael with the Dragon on the bottom left and the Flemish lion on the top left.
Shield of Bezem Brussel (Male Corps of KSC Brussel).
Shield of the Sint-Goedeleconvent (Female Corps of KSC Brussel).
Song
Corps song
F. Meire
- In onze vlag klaart luid gelach,
Van weiden en landouwen,
Maar rode gloed van durf en bloed
Wijdt 't groen van ons betrouwen.
- Dat Brussel blijve vrij bewaard
Voor God en Nederlanden!
Dat Ruusbroecs licht en Egmonts zwaard
Verstek'ons hoofd en handen!
Bezemclub Brussel
Text: F. Meire & Mon De Goeyse
Melody: O. Liesenborghs
- Reikt de kan de tafel rond,
Looft de Heer om 't bier,
Leegt het glas tot op de grond
Want wij zijn op zwier.
Loven boven!
Alma Mater!
«Bock en Geus»
Zij thans de leus.
Bacchus quia pater!
Leuven heeft het wijs bestier,
Brussel zwaait de potten bier!
(Old Brabant song)
Sa, moeder, tap van 't beste bier
Van 't beste bier
De reus is hier!
Kere weerom
Reuske, Reuske,
Kere weerom
Reuzegom!
- D’Heere schiep den mensch bij’t paar,
’t Mondje voor den mond,
Hier ’n zwart’ of blonde daar,
Klink’ ons liedje rond.
Loven boven!
Bacchus Pater!
«Vrijt naar keus»
Zij thans de leus
Bacchus quia pater!
Leuven heeft het wijs bestier,
Brussel zwaait de potten bier!
(Brussels folk song)
- Dat de vlag met Brabants Leeuw
Rukk’ ter trouwe waak,
En dat wekk’ ons krijgsgeschreeuw
Michaël-met-den-draak.
Loven boven!
Alma Mater!
«Vrank en heus»
Zij thans de leus.
Wotan quia pater!
Leuven heeft het wijs bestier,
Brussel zwaait de Leeuwbanier!
(Vlaamsche Leeuw)
Zij zullen hem niet temmen
Zolang één Vlaming leeft,
Zoolang de Leeuw kan klauwen
Zoolang hij tanden heeft.
- Thans et ’t Kruis van heil in top,
Vaar op’t rechte doel,
Voer uw Menschzijn hooger op,
Door het laag gewoel.
Loven boven!
Pia mater!
Zij thans de leuw.
Deus quia pater!
Pieter Breughel: schutsheer hier,
God blijft het hoog bestier!
(Wilhelmus)
Myn schilt ende betrouwen
Syt Ghy, o Godt, myn heer,
Op U soo wil ick bouwen,
Verlaat mij nemmermeer;
Dat ick doch vroom mach blyven,
U dienaar taller stondt,
Die tyranny verdryven
Die my myn hert doorwondt.
- Lang leve de Bezem
En Manneke-Pis,
De stede van Brussel
Die d'onze is.
Loven steeds boven,
Hoog Lovania!
Altijd God loven
En "Pro Flandria"!
List of Praesides
| Year | Praeses |
|---|---|
| 1925 - 1926 | Edmond de Goeyse v/o Germanicus |
| 1926 - 1927 | Edmond de Goeyse v/o Germanicus |
| 1927 - 1928 | Edmond de Goeyse v/o Germanicus |
| 1928 - 1929 | Edmond de Goeyse v/o Germanicus |
| 1929 - 1930 | Edmond de Goeyse v/o Germanicus |
| 1930 - 1931 | Juul Heremans v/o Pallieter |
| 1931 - 1932 | Juul Heremans v/o Pallieter |
| 1932 - 1933 | Juul Heremans v/o Pallieter |
| 1933 - 1934 | Rik Mees v/o Castor |
| 1934 - 1935 | Rik Mees v/o Castor |
| 1935 - 1936 | Andries Raes v/o Horatius |
| 1936 - 1937 | Jan Lancsweert v/o Gandhi |
| 1937 - 1938 | Herman Cossijns v/o Apollo |
| 1938 - 1939 | Willem Grauls v/o Hercules |
| 1939 - 1940 | Paul Meulemans v/o Thor |
| 1940 - 1941 | Piet Van Nieuwenhuysen v/o Chilperik |
| 1941 - 1942 | Piet Van Nieuwenhuysen v/o Chilperik |
| 1942 - 1943 | Jef Camerlinck v/o Günther |
| 1943 - 1944 | Leo Lindemans v/o Leonidas |
| 1944 - 1945 | André Meersseman v/o Snoes |
| 1945 - 1946 | Piet vande Velde v/o Windekind |
| 1946 - 1947 | Piet vande Velde v/o Windekind |
| 1947 - 1948 | Pieter Geysen v/o Oranje |
| 1948 - 1949 | Pieter Geysen v/o Oranje |
| 1949 - 1950 | Vital Pauwels v/o Ali Baba |
| 1950 - 1951 | Oscar van Meersbeek v/o Spinosj |
| 1951 - 1952 | Vital Pauwels v/o Ali Baba |
| 1952 - 1953 | Gilbert Hertecant v/o Hermes |
| 1953 - 1954 | Gilbert Hertecant v/o Hermes |
| 1954 - 1955 | Franz Van den Bosch v/o Hasthamoës |
| 1955 - 1956 | Jos Chabert v/o Demosthenes |
| 1956 - 1957 | Jan Larivière v/o Eupirides |
| 1957 - 1958 | Hugo Weckx v/o Elias |
| 1958 - 1959 | Roger Van de Vondel v/o Vondel |
| 1959 - 1960 | Marc Weckx v/o Peter Pan |
| 1960 - 1961 | Marcel Cheyns v/o Sallustius |
| 1961 - 1962 | Gustave Dotremont v/o Bros |
| 1962 - 1963 | Joost Proesmans v/o Petroesjka |
| 1963 - 1964 | Rik Oosterlinck v/o Altaid Dust |
| 1964 - 1965 | Piet Coppé v/o Nostrovjé |
| 1965 - 1966 | Johan Broekaert v/o Pistasj |
| 1966 - 1967 | Johan Broekaert v/o Pistasj
Jef Thiebaut v/o Kriek |
| 1967 - 1968 | Gunther Van Dyck v/o Flipke |
| 1968 - 1969 | Wim Vlieghe v/o Geus (Resigned at the beginning of the academic year.)
Herman Van Rompuy v/o Raspoetin |
| 1969 - 1970 | Gunther Van Dyck v/o Flipke |
| 1970 - 1971 | August Gooris v/o Bock |
| 1971 - 1972 | Yves Coenen v/o Tobias |
| 1972 - 1973 | Gabriël Van Waeyenberge v/o Gaga |
| 1973 - 1974 | Erik Vandenbussche v/o Minibus |
| 1974 - 1975 | Kris Van Saene v/o Van Zwam |
| 1975 - 1976 | Filip Van Essche v/o Sjas |
| 1976 - 1977 | Herman Van der Weeëen v/o Petit |
| 1977 - 1978 | Filip Van Essche v/o Sjas |
| 1978 - 1979 | Mark Raport v/o Conto |
| 1979 - 1980 | Kris Houben v/o Peej |
| 1980 - 1981 | Kris De Kelver v/o Tisj |
| 1981 - 1982 | Jos Goubert v/o Legum |
| 1982 - 1983 | Filip Tanghe v/o Raffal |
| 1983 - 1984 | Jan Huys v/o Buffalo!! |
| 1984 - 1985 | Karel Van Eeckhout v/o Salamie |
| 1985 - 1986 | Jos Leyssens v/o Weuttel |
| 1986 - 1987 | Erik Loosveldt v/o Kwatsj |
| 1987 - 1988 | Paulus De Boe v/o Kartasj |
| 1988 - 1989 | Paul Vangenechten v/o Bifi |
| 1989 - 1990 | Paul Struys v/o Illeseinkeur |
| 1990 - 1991 | Stefan Blaton v/o Fluut |
| 1991 - 1992 | Koen Vranken v/o Stoefkaroot |
| 1992 - 1993 | Carl Dotremont v/o Broske |
| 1993 - 1994 | Sven Loopmans v/o Hagar |
| 1994 - 1995 | Alain Nijs v/o Dynamo |
| 1995 - 1996 | Alexander Severyns v/o Beustel |
| 1996 - 1997 | Steven Vangerven v/o Bles |
| 1997 - 1998 | Stijn Calle v/o Obelix |
| 1998 - 1999 | David Lenaerts v/o Risky |
| 1999 - 2000 | Ben vanden Berghe v/o Agrikol |
| 2000 - 2001 | David Daneels v/o Oboe |
| 2001 - 2002 | Marnix Daneels v/o Cheval (Was temporarily replaced by Stefan Van de Weyer v/o Fanta between 31 October 2001 and 3 February 2002 due to illness.) |
| 2002 - 2003 | Stefan Van de Weyer v/o Fanta |
| 2003 - 2004 | Bram Vrancken v/o Bietel |
| 2004 - 2005 | Bram Vrancken v/o Bietel |
| 2005 - 2006 | Martijn Dehaene v/o Pleeboj (Was temporarily replaced by Thompas Van Rompuy v/o Bakkes between 21 February 2006 and 14 March 2006.) |
| 2006 - 2007 | Thomas Van Rompuy v/o Bakkes |
| 2007 - 2008 | Ben Coene v/o Black-Out |
| 2008 - 2009 | Thomas Brenninkmeijer v/o Maft |
| 2009 - 2010 | Stijn De Leener v/o Suppo |
| 2010 - 2011 | Thomas Brenninkmeijer v/o Maft |
| 2011 - 2012 | Olivier Duron v/o Foef |
| 2012 - 2013 | Ward Smets v/o Ket |
| 2013 - 2014 | Kasper Henneco v/o Stitch |
| 2014 - 2015 | Sander Vaeck v/o Diva |
| 2015 - 2016 | Evert Van Trappen v/o Gamin |
| 2016 - 2017 | Tomas de Clercq v/o Ralph |
| 2017 - 2018 | Adriaan Wulgaert v/o Zalm |
| 2018 - 2019 | Thomas Boone v/o Profeet |
| 2019 - 2020 | Thomas Boone v/o Profeet |
| 2020 - 2021 | Daniël Buschkens v/o Grimas |
| 2021 - 2022 | Daniël Buschkens v/o Grimas |
| 2022 - 2023 | Willem Buschkens v/o Kabaal |
Sources
- Huys, Jan & Stefan Van de Weyer, De studentikoze erfenis van Rodenbach, Acco Drukkerij, Belgium, Leuven, 2006.
- KVHV Leuven, Studentencodex, Belgium, Leuven, 1959.
