Belgium Heritage Library Celebrates Flemish Porn’s Hidden History

Denmark may have been the first country in Europe, not to mention the world, to fully legalize porn 50 years ago, but Belgium’s Flanders region also has its own history of adult material. But even though sexually explicit art and literature has been “an important part of the Flemish literary and cultural history,” according to the Mayor of Europe site, that history has largely—and perhaps not surprisingly—remained in the shadows. But that hidden history is now being celebrated at the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library in Antwerp, capital of Dutch-speaking Flanders, according to the site. An exhibit of Flemish porn, pulp and literature runs through February 14 at the staid library. The history of Flemish porn magazines and books dates back to the 19th century, when sexually explicit material “appeared in the libertine tradition addressing a selective, elitist readership,” according to the Mayor.eu site, which notes that “large quantities” of porn were produced in the region during that era.  The material on display at the museum runs the gamut from the merely “suggestive” to what today would be called hardcore. But why is the Flemish Heritage Library going out of its way to celebrate the Belgian region’s porn tradition? The exhibits organizers say that porn provides “a fascinating indicator of the morals of the time. ... Knowing what type of content was considered offensive can tell much about the prevailing social norms and beliefs.”  Because porn has always been intended to be a form of mass media, reaching as wide an audience as the producers can achieve, sexual entertainment must also “respond to the cultural clichés” that exist in any specific time and place, according to the site. In other words, porn offers an intimate view into the the heart of a culture. While most cultures have been reluctant to take porn seriously as cultural history, not so in Antwerp, apparently. The exhibit is open only to visitors over the age if 16. Visitors to Antwerp can purchase tickets to the Flemish porn exhibit vis the museum’s site, at this link.  Photo By Johannes Vande Voorde / Wikimedia Commons