Hof der dingen - The Frontier Worker's Card

In the 19th century — and well into the 20th— thousands of West Flemish workers crossed the border daily to earn a living in northern France. They harvested beets in the fields or processed them in the many sugar factories, worked in chicory ovens, or were employed in the flourishing flax industry. 

These seasonal labourers were known by a variety of nicknames. Since many of them worked in France, they were often nicknamed Trimards (vagabonds) or Fransman (Frenchmen. Others referred to them as Beet men, or even Les Godverdomme — a reference to the Dutch swear word godverdomme (roughly translated to: “damn it”), a curse word often exclaimed by the workers themselves. 

Others called them Les Flandriens – a nickname that would later become a badge of honour for a generation of cyclists like Briek Schotte, who braved harsh weather conditions to achieve heroic victories. These days, the term symbolises grit, unshakable determination, and glory. 

The number of Belgian cross-border workers peaked between 1926 and 1928, with some estimates reaching 100.000. After World War II, these numbers rose once again – peaking at 57.240 Belgian frontier workers in 1948, of whom 41.790 came from West Flanders. As of 2024, it’s estimated that around 20.000 Belgians and French citizens still cross the border daily to go to work. 

The province of West Flanders continues to honour the memory of this important chapter in its economic history. Most prominently, the monument De Sjouwer - located along the E17 motorway in Aalbeke- pays tribute to the many cross-border and seasonal workers. Sjouwer roughly translates to someone doing heavy lifting or ‘hauler’. 

Many other West Flemish towns also commemorate this legacy. Koekelare is home to a museum dedicated to the Fransmans, Klerken erected a statue titled The Seasonal Worker, and the township of Madonna placed a monument dedicated to them near its church. The city of Koekelare dedicated an entire museum to Fransmans, the town of Klerken put up a statue called The seasonal worker and the township of Madonna placed a monument near the church. (Yes, you read that right — there’s a place called Madonna in West Flanders. Told you, we have a little bit of everything here.) 

But back to the story. The experience of seasonal workers has also featured prominently in literature. In 1958, acclaimed author Hugo Claus published Suiker (Sugar), a work that explores the daily journey of these labourers. West Flemish artist Chokri Ben Chikha used the book as an inspiration for his theatre project in collaboration with young people from Ronse, many of whom work along the Belgian coast as waiters during summer.