Bruges+Matins

Bruges Matins

On May 18th 1302, the local Flemish militia massacred the French Garrison in Bruges. Bruges had the privilege of bringing in sheep wool from England. This trade was in charge by bourgeois until the King of England, Edward I, began to distribute directly to the customers. When the traders found out, they told Philip the Fair, and he garrisoned French troops. This caused extensive anger and fear to the Flemish in Bruges. On that day Pieter De Coninck and Jan Breydel were the leaders of armed insurrectionists. They went to the houses where the French were garrisoned, and to tell the who the French were from the natives, they told everyone to “shield a friend”. A handful of French and the governor, who had just tried to reassemble the garrison, were the only people that were able to escape. Approximately 2,000 other people died. Breydel and Coninck were greatly admired as leaders of the insurrection and Julius Sabbe created a statue for them in 1887 in Bruges.