De Mirlitophile

De Mirlitophile is the oldest carnival association (carnavalsvereniging) of Valkenburg, in the Dutch province of Limburg. It was probably founded in 1879, although no founding charter survives; the earliest documentary evidence is an old window poster from 1890 announcing the association's eleventh anniversary. The society is dedicated to organizing and preserving the traditional carnival celebrations of Valkenburg, a town whose carnival identity is closely tied to the association. In 1881 the Pantheon was inaugurated, the venue where the carnival prince is proclaimed. De Mirlitophile organizes virtually all carnival events in Valkenburg each year, including the proclamation (proclamatie), the prince's session (prinsezitting), the inblaoze, and the lampjesoptocht (lantern parade). Its symbol is a coat of arms bearing a goat (bok), because Valkenburg is known during carnival as 'het bokkenrijk' (the goat kingdom), a nickname linked to the town's stubborn, independent character in the Middle Ages. The origin of the name is not entirely clear. The most plausible explanation is that it comes from Liège, where a society named itself after its leader Philip Mirliton: 'Les Mirlitophiles'. Members of that society are thought to have visited Valkenburg, inspiring the young local association to call itself Les Mirlithopiles. Giving a French name was fashionable at the time, and the mirliton was a very popular carnival musical instrument. Today De Mirlitophile remains active, maintaining a website with an events agenda, a history section, and a digital edition of its publication Mirliton. It also communicates with members and the public through Facebook, where it shares photo albums of carnival events.

De Mirlitophile is the oldest carnival association of Valkenburg, in the Dutch province of Limburg. It was probably founded in 1879, but no founding charter survives. The earliest documentary evidence is an old window poster from 1890 stating that the Mirlitophile was celebrating its eleventh anniversary, which supports a founding date around 1879. In 1881 the Pantheon was inaugurated, the place where the carnival princes are proclaimed. This venue became central to the association's activities. Over the years De Mirlitophile established itself as the organizer of virtually all carnival events in Valkenburg, including the proclamatie (proclamation), the prinsezitting (prince's session), the inblaoze, and the lampjesoptocht (lantern parade). The association's symbol is a coat of arms with a goat (bok). Valkenburg is known during carnival as 'het bokkenrijk' (the goat kingdom). This likely relates to the special position Valkenburg held in the Middle Ages, which allowed it to act independently, even against the will of others. This led to a reputation for stubbornness, as in the saying 'as stubborn as a goat'. Valkenburgers adopted this as an honorary nickname, and from this the Mirlitophile took its symbol. The origin of the name is not entirely clear. The most plausible explanation is that it comes from Liège, where a society named itself after its leader Philip Mirliton: 'Les Mirlitophiles'. Members of this society probably visited Valkenburg, inspiring the young Valkenburg association to call itself Les Mirlithopiles. It was not unusual at the time to give oneself a French name, since French was considered chic. In addition, the mirliton was an extremely popular carnival musical instrument. In the present day, De Mirlitophile remains active. Its website features an events agenda, a history section, and a digital edition of its publication Mirliton (Mirliton 2025 online). It also maintains a Facebook page with extensive photo albums of carnival events. The association continues to organize the annual carnival celebrations in Valkenburg, including the 2026 season, as referenced in a message from Sjtadsprins Michel I and Minister Raymond wishing everyone a good Vastelaovend 2026.

• 1890

  An old window poster records the association's eleventh anniversary, the earliest documentary evidence.

• 1881

  The Pantheon was inaugurated, the place where the carnival princes are proclaimed.

• 1879

  Probably founded as the oldest carnival association of Valkenburg.

Oldest and central carnival association of Valkenburg, organizing the town's main carnival events and preserving local carnival traditions.

• Proclamatie (prince proclamation)

• Prinsezitting (prince's session)

• Inblaoze

• Lampjesoptocht (lantern parade)

• Mirliton publication

1. 1Mirlitophile - Homemirlitophile.nl
2. 2De Mirlitophile - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3De Mirlitophile - Wikipedia (NL)nl.wikipedia.org