Jo(o)s heeft het geweten!

In the 16th century, Joos De Damhouder (1507-1581) engaged in plagiarism by drawing extensively from the writings of his compatriot Filips Wielant (1439-1519). This remained obscure for several centuries, affording De Damhouder the opportunity to establish an international reputation as a preeminent legal scholar, whereas Wielant’s contributions languished in relative obscurity. However, in the latter half of the 19th century, scholars succeeded in unearthing the plagiarism, igniting considerable controversy and scholarly discourse on the matter. This revelation had profound repercussions, leading to a tarnishing of De Damhouder’s oncepristine reputation. Subsequent generations of legal historians undertook investigations into this matter. In recent years, a nuanced reevaluation of De Damhouder’s standing has transpired.