In the heart of early modern Flanders, amidst the pervasive dominance of Catholicism, a distinctive region defied the prevailing religious landscape, harbouring a resilient Calvinist community known as the Geuzenhoek. Situated in the countryside east of Oudenaarde, in villages like Sint-Maria-Horebeke, Mater, and Etikhove, this enclave steadfastly maintained its Reformed tradition throughout the seventeenth century and beyond. Against the backdrop of the prevailing trend of catholization in the Habsburg Netherlands, the Geuzenhoek emerged as one of the few surviving Protestant bastions within an otherwise predominantly Catholic territory. This doctoral dissertation meticulously traces the extraordinary journey of the Geuzenhoek from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, unravelling the mystery of how this minority community not only endured but flourished. Employing an entangled microhistorical lens, the narrative delves into the lives of Geuzenhoek villagers within the broader interconnected context of the Low Countries. Through this approach, the thesis explores the forging of a distinct confessional identity and the use of coexistence strategies to navigate and resolve local conflicts. In doing so, the thesis reveals the Geuzenhoek Protestants to exhibit exceptional resilience in the early seventeenth century, showcasing identity flexibility and strategic use of nicodemism to navigate challenges within their predominantly Catholic environment. The latter half of the seventeenth century witnessed the community capitalizing on geopolitical shifts, seizing opportunities to establish new confessional customs and progressing from mere survival to a phase of thriving. By the eighteenth century, they had successfully disentangled themselves from the Catholic community, evident in ceremonies surrounding pivotal life events like marriage and baptism, marking the complete confessionalization of the community. A crucial aspect of this transformative journey was the formalization of a ‘connivance’ framework in the eighteenth century. This transition from a system of informal coexistence based on implicit boundaries in the seventeenth century to a more structured form of officially recognized condoning illustrates a compelling parallel with developments in the Dutch Republic, despite significant differences in the size of confessional minorities between the two regions. By providing a nuanced perspective on the complexities and resilience of Protestant identities beyond the transformative sixteenth century, “Geuzenhoek: Identity and Coexistence in a Protestant Enclave in Early Modern Flanders” challenges prevailing historical narratives that often neglect post-Reformation Protestantism in the Habsburg Netherlands. Rooted in archival sources and enriched by an exhaustive engagement with existing scholarship, this dissertation significantly contributes to our understanding of religious life in early modern Flanders. It unveils a captivating story of dynamism within a Protestant minority, thereby enhancing our comprehension of the broader tapestry of European religious history.