The Flemish region has a long and fascinating history. Due to its central location in western Europe and at the North Sea coast, it has always been at a crossroad of different cultures and migrations. This is reflected in the DNA of its inhabitants, whose genome is generally a mixture of Celtic, Roman, Frankish, Frisian and Saxon DNA. In later centuries, the region’s long-term occupation by the French, the Spanish and the Austrians may also have left some traces behind in the population’s DNA. Throughout the centuries, foreign nations have fought countless battles on Flemish soil.

Flemish people also have a long history of migrating away and settling in other parts of the world. In the Roman period, there was an intense contact between the Belgae tribes who lived in Belgium and in England, and later the Saxons of coastal Flanders had close ties with the Anglosaxons on the other side of the Channel. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, there were many Flemish soldiers in his Norman army. Entire contingents of Flemish mercenaries fought in the English civil wars of the 12th and early 13th centuries, and throughout the Middle Ages, large numbers of Flemish people settled in England. One such migration event was triggered by king Edward III in 1331, who invited Flemish weavers to settle in Norfolk and Yorkshire. Also Scotland has received large numbers of Flemish immigrants, who have settled there since the 12th century. Several Highland clans are their descendants, including the clans Sutherland, Murray, Fleming, and Douglas. Flemish immigrants have also introduced a sport named ‘kolf’ in Scotland, which has later developed into golf.

Large numbers of Flemish also took part in the so-called Ostsiedlung, the colonization of the coastal regions of northern and northeastern Germany (Holstein, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg) and Poland (Pomerania, Silesia) during the 12th century. The brutal persecution of protestants during the Spanish occupation led to a massive emigration of Flemish people during the second half of the 16th century, especially towards the Netherlands. There, they greatly contributed to the growth and economic success of cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Leiden and Den Haag. In more recent times (19th and early 20th century), many Flemish families have settled in the USA, Canada and Australia. Operating from the harbor of Antwerp between 1871 and 1935, the Red Star Line company brought about two million passengers from all over Europe to the United States.