Day of the German Community in Belgium

Each 15th November is celebrated as the Day of the German Community in the Eastern area of Wallonia, Belgium close to the German border, where there is a strong German-speaking minority.

The German Community of Belgium is one of three official Communities in Belgium, along with the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) Community and the French Community. For more about the different communities, please see Belgium, a divided country.

The name "German Community" is somewhat misleading as the people concerned are German-speaking, but are not German people living in Belgium. The overall situation is sometimes confused because of the huge presence of nationals from all over Europe who are resident in Belgium as a result of the headquarters of the European Union being situated in Brussels.

This day commemorates the limited autonomy granted to the German Community in 1980. The other Communities celebrate on 11th July (Day of the Flemish Community) and 27th September (Day of the French Community) respectively.

The German Community share this day with the rest of Belgium, as it is King's Day, a public holiday for civil servants across the country.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate this event, you might be interested in this article: Commemorations with Cross Stitch