Jan van Boendale
Illustration — Illustration from a manuscript of Boendale's Brabantsche yeesten Jan van Boendale (c.1280 – c.1351), formerly sometimes known as Jan De Klerk ("Jan the Clerk") was a 14th-century secretary of the city of Antwerp and author of narrative and didactic verse. He was an influential official in Antwerp. Two of his works, Brabantsche yeesten and Der leken spieghel, are listed in the Canon of Dutch Literature compiled by the Digital Library for Dutch Literature.
Also recorded as Janus Clericus · Jan de Clerck
Jan van Boendale
1279-1351 (viaf)80703292 · Ghent University Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1280. · Boondael - Boondaal.
- Died
- 1351. · Antwerp.
- Nationality
- Southern Netherlands.
- Occupation
- writer and poet.
- Known for
- Dietsche doctrinale, Van den derden Eduwaert, Boec vander wraken, Melibeus, Brabantsche Yeesten and Lekenspiegel.
- Languages
- Middle Dutch.
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Illustration from a manuscript of Boendale's Brabantsche yeesten Jan van Boendale (c.1280 – c.1351), formerly sometimes known as Jan De Klerk ("Jan the Clerk") was a 14th-century secretary of the city of Antwerp and author of narrative and didactic verse. He was an influential official in Antwerp. Two of his works, Brabantsche yeesten and Der leken spieghel, are listed in the Canon of Dutch Literature compiled by the Digital Library for Dutch Literature.
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Note VALÉORINE
Jan van Boendale (1280–1351) was a poet and writer and a national of Southern Netherlands. Born in Boondael - Boondaal, the poet died in Antwerp.
Works include Boec vander wraken, Brabantsche Yeesten, Dietsche doctrinale and Lekenspiegel, among others. Languages used include Middle Dutch.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q644173 · wikipedia · Jan van Boendale
In this article
Life
Life
Jan was born in Boendale, near Tervuren, near the end of the 13th century. He moved to Antwerp, where he became secretary to the city council, and lived there until his death around 1351. He undertook a number of diplomatic missions on behalf of the city of Antwerp or of the States of Brabant, and in 1332 was present in the entourage of John III, Duke of Brabant, at Heylissem. • Illustration — Excerpt from a manuscript of Der leken spieghel. Manufactured in the first half of the 15th century. Preserved in the University Library of Ghent.
Works
Works
• Brabantsche yeesten (a history of the duchy of Brabant) • Der leken spieghel (a history of salvation) • Jans Testeye (a dialogue on controverted questions in philosophy and law) • Van den derden Eduwaert (an account of Edward III of England's arrival in the Low Countries and his Tournaisis campaign of 1340) • Die dietsche doctrinale (a didactic poem in three books)
Identity
Identity
Jan van Boendale is recorded as a citizen of Southern Netherlands. Recorded with the occupation writer. Recorded with the occupation poet.
Fragment uit een manuscript van de Lekenspiegel van Jan van Boendale. Vervaardigd in de Nederlanden, 1e helft 15e eeuw.
1279-1351 (viaf)80703292 · Ghent University Library
Fragment uit het handschrift 1588, bevattende de Lekenspiegel van Jan van Boendale.
Ghent University Library
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1279
Jan van Boendale born at Boondael - Boondaal.
1350
Jan van Boendale died on 1 January 1350.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Boondael - Boondaal.
Birth place
Antwerp.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q644173: Jan van Boendale
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jan van Boendale”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ph. Blommaert, "Boendale (Jean)", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 2 (Brussels, 1868), 587-591.
- 2.Stein, Robert. Political Representation: Communities, Ideas and Institutions in Europe (c. 1200 - c. 1690). BRILL. 203–224. 2018. 978-90-04-36391-5.
- 3.Lekenspiegel (fragm.) [manuscript]. lib.ugent.be.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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