Although the political regime in the Austrian Netherlands was relatively liberal, the publication of a newspaper was a delicate job. International diplomacy and internal affairs were quite volatile, and editors risked publishing sensitive information without realizing it. Throughout the eighteenth century the censorship system repeatedly stopped functioning, with grave results for publishers. The private memoirs of an Antwerp newspaper editor, Jacob van der Sanden, shed light on the strategies journalists and publishers employed to avoid problems. Next to a rigid self-censoring, the publisher frequently paid censors to ensure their vital cooperation, even illegally employing ecclesiastical censors.

1. With a little help from my censor.
Publishing a newspaper in Antwerp in
the 18th century
Steven Van Impe
Antwerp, Hendrik Conscience Library

2. Censorship studies
- Robert Darnton, The literary underground of the old regime.
Cambridge (Mass.), 1982.
- Barbara Negroni, Lectures interdites: le travail des
censeurs au 18e siècle, 1723-1774. Paris : Michel, 1995.
- Ingeborg Jostock, La censure négociée. Le contrôle du
livre à Genève, 1560-1625. Genève : Droz, 2007.
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3. Gazette van Antwerpen
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4. Marks of censorship
Foto: Karin Borghouts
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5. Who was responsable for censoring?
... que des nouvelles trop vagues et trop précipitées ne
s'insèrent plus à l'avenir dans cette gazette contre l'intérêt du
service de Sa Majesté, et n'influent dans l'esprit du public des
idées peu convenables et chimériques.
... that in the future no more very vague and hasty stories were
to be added in this newspaper, which were against the
interest of His Majesty, and that it wouldn't inspire
unfavourable and misty ideas in the minds of the public.
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6. Who was responsable for censoring?
... un point de police, et par consequent de votre resort;
... a case of public order, and therefor in your jurisdiction;
... sans ultérieure replique.
... without further discussion.
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7. Obligatory statistical slide
Indications of censorship per year
excluding the year 1764
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
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8. Ecclesiastical censorship
Censure van den seer eerw. plebaen Verheijen: Dien
Helvetius is eenen materialist, die leert dat onze ziel met het
lichaem sterft, en naer dit leven geen ander exteert. Hij en
verdiend niet, dat men hier met zoo veel lof van hem
spreekt.
Censored by the revd. dean Verheijen: This Helvetius is a
materialist, who teaches that our soul dies with the body,
and that no life exists after this one. He does not deserve, to
be spoken of so highly here.
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9. Censorship by the city authorities
Censored,
probably for
being related
to Ms. Nettine
in Brussels
Foto: Vlaamse Erfgoedbibliotheek – Stefan Tavernier
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10. Censorship by city authority
... The frost, which has persisted since the first days of
january, may be judged, according to meteorological
measurements, from the 26th friday evening until ... 19
january, to have supplanted the severity of ... january 1740.
... The sudden and benevolent thaw lessens the utter misery of
the poor, sweetens the needs of the honest craftsmen, halts
the public damages occuring through the standstill of all
work, and restores good hope for the seeded acres, and the
activities of commerce.
This article was surprisingly deleted by the alderman Torfs.
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11. "Notwithstanding that this
ordinance is only a law in
Flanders and cannot serve
in Brabant, his lordship
alderman Goris had it
deleted, because there was
no order from the
government, and because it
was not published in
Antwerp; which is
unnecessary and not to be
expected ..."
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12. O France rejouis Toi ! un Dauphin Te doit naître :
Une Fille est venue pour en être témoin.
O France, rejoice ! You need a crown prince to be born :
Now a girl has come to be witness.
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