ONS VOLK
‘Ons Volk’ is a Flemish magazine founded in 1911, then called ‘Ons Volk ontwaakt’ The first editor was no less than the, then young, Ernest Claes. Later, other Flemish young Lions, such as Felix Timmermans, Jan Boon and Marnix Gijsen, would collaborate on this magazine. In 1976, the magazine was dragged into the bankruptcy of the Standard Group. Until then, and certainly the decade before, it was an extremely successful family magazine with highly accessible articles that showed great journalistic flair.
The topics tackled were very diverse such as an article on technical novelties, history, the movie theatre, taking care of farm animals, sheltering ‘deaf and dumb boys’, a sports section with not only football, parliament waiting, an anticipation of space travel to Mars (in 1946!), fishing in Belgium, prehistoric art yet modern, how America imagines Russia, which woman has the cleanest profession, and so on. It must be said, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the content steadily changed and evolved into one that could rather be called feminine in the classic sense.
Ons Volk is also an icon in the Flemish magazine landscape. It started as a broad family magazine and evolved into a rather woman-centric magazine. The content speaks for itself. Travelling with children | the heart in Austria the wallet in Switzerland | for beautiful mothers-to-be | everyone can prune roses | trekking through the Voerstreek | this is how Paula Semer lives | star attractions in Flanders | the Shah of Persia marries Farah Diba | Mahatma Gandhi | “The Walk” the Meersman trio of artists in Temse | resolutions for the new year | the king back from America | Marilyn Monroe | elephants | the Marvelettes | the war in Vietnam chased from their villages | Argentina | the Zwalm region | Fort robot produces tonnes of quality coffee per hour | the Grand Coulee Dam | King Boudewijn visiting Rotselaar | puppet theatre Hopla | Faust | Jan Van Der Loo | the US National Parks. You will also find regular sections such as a health section, letters from readers, parenting, health, pigeon racing, clothes making and a regular cooking section.