Jan Breydel

Jan Breydel (Dutch pronunciation: [jɑm ˈbrɛidəl]; c. 1264 – between 1328 and 1333)[1] is credited with leading the Bruges Matins (Brugse Metten), a violent uprising against Philip the Fair.

[5] On the basis of this record, it is generally accepted that he had fought on 11 July 1302 in the Battle of the Golden Spurs, even though there is no concrete evidence that he was present on the battlegrounds.

[6] In 1309, Breydel, together with Pieter de Coninck and Jan Heem, again led an uprising in Bruges, aimed against the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge (1305) forced upon Flanders by the French.

[7] Jan Breydel, alongside his ally Pieter de Coninck, has often been portrayed as a patriotic hero in Belgium because of his passion for Flemish identity.

To this day, the Bruges Matins and the Battle of the Golden Spurs are often referenced to as cornerstones of an emerging Flemish identity in the Middle Ages.

But the whole function as a leader was invented in the early 15th century.”According to Demets, the contemporary image of Breydel as one of the heroes of the Franco-Flemish War was made up by his family more than 100 years later.