In Belgium in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the dominant language for education, literature and politics was French as this was the language of the elites at the time. The majority of the people in Flanders, the northern part of the country, spoke Dutch. The northern part was financially helped by the southern to develop. In the second half of the 19th century a movement started that sought to elevate the status of Dutch in society and emancipate the Flemish people. At the two universities in Flanders (the Catholic University of Leuven and the State University of Ghent) Flemish students started to organize themselves in societies.
The name KVHV was first used by Flemish students in 1911, when the Vlaams Verbond (Flemish Union) was banned by the Catholic University of Leuven. The name was permanently adopted in 1923. At the same time the dominant Flemish society in Ghent, Rodenbach's Vrienden, also changed its name to KVHV.
Catholic: The KVHV is a Roman Catholic organisation. Members have a conservative ideology.
Flemish: the KVHV is the dominant Flemish nationalist student society together with the NSV.
Student society: The KVHV is the publisher of the Studentencodex, a book containing songs and the rules and traditions of Flemish student societies. The KVHV itself is organised according to these rules. The most visible expression of this is the ribbon and cap worn by all members in the colors of the society.
'Levensbond' or bond for life: The membership of the KVHV not only consists of students, but also all alumni.
All members have to strictly follow these rules and principles.
The KVHV also has an official newspaper Tegenstroom whose former editors include Bart De Wever and Gerolf Annemans.
