Council of the Frisian Movement

Ried fan de Fryske Beweging

The Ried fan de Fryske Beweging (RfdFB) (English: Council of the Frisian Movement) is an organisation that works for the preservation of the Frisian language and culture in the Dutch Friesland. The fully independent Council is a foundation of currently twelve independent Frisian organisations. These include the Western Section of the Frisian Council (Fryske Rie) and the Support Association of the Frisian Radio Freonen fan Omrop Fryslân, but also associations of the other regional languages of Friesland (Bildts, Stellingwerfs). The foundation was founded in 1945. From 1990 to 1997 it published the magazine Mear oer fryske taal en kultuer. Since 2000 the magazine Swingel has been published. In addition to the twelve associations, which represent a total of around 12,000 people, around 500 supporting individual members are also affiliated with the Ried. The name-giving council consists of representatives of the organisations and several individual supporters. The Council of the Frisian Movement is a member of the FUEN since 1949.

In the Province of Fryslân, 75% of the inhabitants speak (West) Frisian, besides the Dutch standard language. Today, this autochthonous language is spoken by ca. 450.000 people in Fryslân.