Interior of Sint-Jozefkerk in Terhagen (Belgium).
The non-profit organisation Het Orgel in Vlaanderen is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Since 1990, the organisation has been committed to promoting, preserving and making the rich organ heritage in Flanders accessible to a wide audience. To mark this festive anniversary, in the autumn of 2025 and in 2026, the organisation will be organising activities in all Flemish provinces that showcase the organ in all its forms.
Organ is sounding in every province
To celebrate this special milestone, Het Orgel in Vlaanderen is supporting events throughout the autumn under the banner “35 years of Het Orgel in Vlaanderen”. Some initiatives have been running for some time and will be included in the anniversary programme, while others are being organised specifically for the occasion.
A selection from the programme:
- Antwerp: On 13 September 2025, there was an Organ and Silent Film in Wilrijk. In collaboration with the City of Antwerp, there were various activities on Open Monument Day in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-de-Altijddurende-Bijstand in Deurne: an exhibition on the history of the organ and organ building, and demonstrations of the organ. The Orgelkidsbox was also be present, where children can help build an organ.
- East Flanders: In collaboration with the Davidsfonds, an organ course will be organised in Sint-Niklaas on 10, 17 and 24 October 2025, aimed at a broad cultural audience. Participants will be introduced to the wonderful world of the organ and organ building, visit and listen to two instruments in the city and, to top it all off, there will be a guided tour of the Demunck Claessens company.
- Flemish Brabant: On 11 October 2025, during the closing day of Leuven Organ City, The Organ in Flanders will be featured in part of the afternoon program, more specifically, in a presentation entitled: “The Organ in Flanders: 35 years of evolution in ‘organ country’”.
In 1990, The Organ in Flanders was founded to make “the organ” known to the general public. Thirty-five years on, there has been a great deal of evolution.
The changed perception and functioning in a broad sense of Het Orgel in Vlaanderen and in the organ world in general in Flanders. How do we bring the organ to the people today? The presentation also looks at marketing tips, how organs have become more accessible, and, last but not least, the problem of church closures, the repurposing of organs and the future of organ building. These are hot topics that are approached in a positive light, because we can be “Fier op dat van hier (proud of what we have here)”, as Minister Ben Weyts says.
- Limburg: In the spring of 2026, a project will take place in Heers. The church, with its newly restored Clerinckx organ, has an inseparable link with the castle managed by Herita, a partner with whom The Organ in Flanders has been working closely for a long time. Herita is planning a number of activities in the spring, and the organ will be involved in these.
- West Flanders: Work is still in full swing here on the project that will be organized in autumn 2026.
35 years of dedication to organ heritage
The organ is one of the most impressive instruments in Flemish heritage. Yet it often remains unknown to the general public. Het Orgel in Vlaanderen wants to change that. For 35 years, the organisation has been committed to making the organ heard in Flanders, both literally and figuratively, through educational projects, concerts, publications and public events.
Organ and Silent Movie in Wilrijk (Belgium).
‘We can rightly be proud of the organ culture here,’ says Daniel Vanden Broecke, General Director of Het Orgel in Vlaanderen. “Not only is Flanders known worldwide for its organ composers such as Peeter Cornet, Jacques Nicolaas Lemmens and Flor Peeters, but our craftsmanship as an organ-building region is also renowned worldwide. Here in Flanders, Van Peteghem organs are highly valued, but abroad we also find instruments by Loret, Merklin-Schütze and, more recently, Johan Deblieck, who builds box organs for all over the world, such as this year for Notre-Dame in Paris.”
We can be happy with an organisation such as Het Orgel in Vlaanderen, which keeps the organ tradition alive in Flanders, says Peter De Wilde, administrator-general of the Immovable Heritage Agency. ‘This anniversary series offers an excellent opportunity to give the organ a new platform, to connect people around musical heritage and to inspire young and old alike with the beauty and versatility of the instrument. In this way, Het Orgel in Vlaanderen contributes to creating a community inspired by heritage.’
Luk Lemmens, Deputy for Heritage for the Province of Antwerp: “The organ is an integral part of our Flemish heritage. It is not only an impressive musical instrument, but also a paragon of craftsmanship and traditional craftsmanship. Thanks to Het Orgel in Vlaanderen, this heritage has been receiving the care and attention it deserves for 35 years. This anniversary year offers an excellent opportunity to let the organ shine again, to introduce the public to its versatility and to show how rich, lively and relevant this centuries-old tradition still is.”
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About the non-profit organisation Het Orgel in Vlaanderen (The Organ in Flanders)
The non-profit organisation Het Orgel in Vlaanderen was founded on 1 May 1990 with the mission of mapping, preserving and promoting the Flemish organ heritage. The organisation is a point of contact for organ enthusiasts, musicians, heritage organisations, governments and the general public. Through projects, publications, training courses and events, the organisation consistently puts the organ on the cultural map of Flanders.
More information about the anniversary activities can be found at: www.orgelinvlaanderen.be .
Contact:
Het Orgel in Vlaanderen
Erfgoedhuis Den Wolsack
Oude Beurs 27, 2000 Antwerpen
Daniel Vanden Broecke
d.vandenbroecke@orgelinvlaanderen.be
Tel: 0479 64 01 73
www.orgelinvlaanderen.be
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