51.2206° N, 4.4018° E

ANTWERPEN

Most Famous People Born in Antwerpen, Belgium

Notable people
1,932
Peak decade
1920s
Median birth year
1881
Most distinctive
Engraver 36.3×

The centre of the 17th-century Flemish painting world, and the numbers still carry that weight. More than a quarter of Antwerp's notables are painters — Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, the Brueghels, the Teniers — and the distinctive shelves after that are engravers and printmakers at more than thirty times the global rate, the trades of a city whose printing presses supplied Catholic Europe. The 1500s and 1600s each hold roughly a sixth of the bench.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Antwerpen during each.

What Antwerpen Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Painter is Antwerpen's biggest profession — 27% of all notables (520).

Antwerpen over-indexes on engraver36.3× the global rate.

Antwerpen under-produces actor — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Painter520
  2. Politician157
  3. Football128
  4. Writer59
  5. Actor58
  6. Sculptor52
  7. Sport47
  8. Engraver42
  1. Engraver4236.3×
  2. Painter52010.3×
  3. Sculptor524.1×
  4. Swimmer212.2×
  5. Architect291.7×
  6. Artist331.7×
  1. Actor580.6×
  2. Singer230.6×
  3. Football1280.6×
  4. Politician1570.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Antwerpen's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All1,932
Sort By

Showing 123 of 1,932 notable people

0050 THEATRE

Ulu Grosbard

1929 - 2012

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0055 CARTOONIST

Bob de Moor

1925 - 1992

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0084 WRITER

Hubert Lampo

1920 - 2006

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0085 WRITER

Jacques Sternberg

1923 - 2006

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0092 COMPOSER

Karel Goeyvaerts

1923 - 1993

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0106 WRESTLER

Karl Gotch

1924 - 2007

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0112 TRADE UNION

Henry Spira

1927 - 1998

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0114 CINEMA

Ghislain Cloquet

1924 - 1981

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0121 FOOTBALL

Guy Thys

1922 - 2003

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0137 ACTOR

Henri Garcin

Born 1929

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0148 DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Jef Nys

1927 - 2009

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0152 FOOTBALL

Joseph Mermans

1922 - 1996

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0162 PAINTER

Paul Van Hoeydonck

Born 1925

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0168 CYCLIST

Stan Ockers

1920 - 1956

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0170 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Jan Vansina

1929 - 2017

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0172 ACADEMIC

Leo Apostel

1925 - 1995

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0176 ACTOR

Dora van der Groen

1927 - 2015

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0178 FILM

Raoul Lévy

1922 - 1966

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0232 POLITICIAN

Karel Dillen

1925 - 2007

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0253 PLAYWRIGHT

Marcel Mariën

1920 - 1993

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0258 WRITER

Ward Ruyslinck

1929 - 2014

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0289 FILM

Ray Goossens

1924 - 1998

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0294 ACTOR

Angèle Durand

1925 - 2001

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0312 FOOTBALL

Victor Mees

1927 - 2012

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0321 ACTOR

Gaston Berghmans

1926 - 2016

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0382 WRITER

Hugo Raes

1929 - 2013

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0401 BUSINESS

André Leysen

1927 - 2015

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0411 ACTOR

Ward de Ravet

1924 - 2013

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0435 SCULPTOR

Nat Neujean

1923 - 2018

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0464 POLITICIAN

Karel Poma

1920 - 2014

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0475 CHOREOGRAPHER

Jeanne Brabants

1920 - 2014

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0514 THEOLOGIAN

Walter Hollenweger

1927 - 2016

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0545 PAINTER

Jan Yoors

1922 - 1977

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0551 POLITICIAN

Andries Kinsbergen

1926 - 2016

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0573 FOOTBALL

Marcel Dries

1929 - 2011

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0576 SCREENWRITER

Fernand Auwera

1929 - 2015

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0592 SCREENWRITER

Bob Mendes

Born 1928

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0608 SKATER

Pierre Baugniet

1925 - 1981

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0632 POLITICIAN

Rika De Backer-Van Ocken

1923 - 2002

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0633 MUSIC

Jack Sels

1922 - 1970

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0639 ACADEMIC

Adriaan Verhulst

1929 - 2002

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0661 ACTOR

Nand Buyl

1923 - 2009

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0670 PAINTER

Pol Mara

1920 - 1998

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0704 PLAYWRIGHT

Tone Brulin

1926 - 2019

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0712 FOOTBALL

Constant Huysmans

1928 - 2016

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0729 ARCHITECT

Anton Alberts (architect)

1927 - 1999

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0768 PIANIST

Willem Kersters

1929 - 1998

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0783 WRITER

Gust van Brussel

1924 - 2015

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0788 PHILANTHROPIST

Henri Landwirth

1927 - 2018

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0801 ARTIST

Eddy Ryssack

1928 - 2004

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0810 FOOTBALL

Jef Van Der Linden

1927 - 2008

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0811 PAPYROLOGY

Jean Bingen

1920 - 2012

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0816 PRIEST

Luc Versteylen

Born 1927

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0833 POET

Gust Gils

1924 - 2002

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0840 ARTIST

Karel Verschuere

1924 - 1980

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0864 ACADEMIC

Lode Wils

Born 1929

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0875 FOOTBALL

Albert Dehert

1921 - 2013

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0921 POLITICIAN

Louis Van Geyt

1927 - 2016

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0952 POLITICIAN

Paula Sémer

Born 1925

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0991 PHYSICIAN

Willy Gepts

1922 - 1991

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1000 BUSINESS

Maurice Tempelsman

Born 1929

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1005 POLITICIAN

Ludo Dierickx

1929 - 2009

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1009 ACTOR

Bob Van der Veken

1928 - 2019

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1028 PAINTER

Marie Carlier

1920 - 1986

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1048 ARCHITECT

Georges Baines

1925 - 2013

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1049 WRESTLER

Maurice Mewis

1929 - 2017

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1061 SPORT

Maurice Mollin

1924 - 2003

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1069 COSTUME DESIGNER

Leo Kok

1923 - 1945

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1095 SPÉLÉOLOGUE

Félix Ruiz de Arcaute

1927 - 1971

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1172 CONDUCTOR

Marcel Peeters

Born 1926

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1214 BUSINESS

Eddy Meeùs

1925 - 2001

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1218 ART HISTORIAN

Pierre Schneider (historien)

1925 - 2013

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1220 SPORT

René Vingerhoedt

1921 - 2005

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1231 CONDUCTOR

Louis Marischal

1928 - 1999

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1236 ACTOR

Robert Roanne

1929 - 2016

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1242 FOOTBALL

Rik Matthys

1925 - 1999

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1285 NOVELIST

Guy Vaes

1927 - 2012

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1293 HISTORIAN

Luc Smolderen

1924 - 2013

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1294 CARDIOLOGIST

Leo Schamroth

1924 - 1988

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1315 BUSINESS

Lode Campo

1926 - 2009

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1318 ARCHITECT

Walter Bresseleers

1927 - 1980

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1368 FOOTBALL

Désiré Van Den Audenaerde

1923 - 2011

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1382 ACTOR

Jean-Pierre Rey (acteur)

1927 - 2002

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1415 ENSEIGNANT

Andrée Tournès

1921 - 2012

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1424 HISTORIAN

Jean-Louis Van Regemorter

1927 - 1999

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1425 SPORT

Jos De Beukelaere

1925 - 1969

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1427 FILM

Hein Beniest

1921 - 2004

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1429 SPORT

Roger De Pauw

1921 - 2020

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1462 DESIGNER

Michel Olyff

Born 1927

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1468 SPORT

Louis Van Schill

Born 1921

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1477 POLITICIAN

Hugo Adriaensens

1927 - 2000

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1507 WRITER

Henri Sonnenbluck

1927 - 2013

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1531 ATHLETIC

Isidoor Van De Wiele

1924 - 2010

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1539 PRIEST

Jean Kamp

1924 - 2010

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1557 ACADEMIC

Jean F.E. Marquet

1928 - 1991

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1570 ATHLETIC

Robert Schoonjans

1925 - 2011

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1607 POLITICIAN

Marjet Van Puymbroeck

1921 - 2018

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1622 WRITER

Albert Van Nerum

1921 - 2002

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1632 PLAYER

Oscar Verpoest

1922 - 2007

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1640 WRITER

Claude Kévers-Pascalis

1920 - 2016

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1662 SAXOPHONIST

Roger Asselberghs

1925 - 2013

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1672 ATHLETIC

Herman Kunnen

Born 1925

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1691 POLITICIAN

Cécile Goor-Eyben

Born 1923

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1697 SWIMMER

Joseph Reynders

Born 1929

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1705 ROWER

Eugeen Jacobs

Born 1926

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1759 CONDUCTOR

Georges Follman

1920 - 1994

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1761 CARTOONIST

Verli

1920 - 2000

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1767 ROWER

Charles Van Antwerpen

Born 1925

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1786 ROWER

Hippolyte Mattelé

Born 1921

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1803 POET

Sigismond Tygel

1922 - 2005

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1812 ROWER

Jos Van Stichel

Born 1928

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1814 ROWER

Florent Caers

Born 1928

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1824 ROWER

Harry Elzendoorn

1929 - 2008

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1846 PHYSICIAN

Charles Poser

1923 - 2010

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1850 SWIMMER

Maria Van Den Brand

Born 1924

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1869 ARCHITECT

Paul-Émile Vincent

1924 - 2007

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1875 WRITER

Paul-Henri Rips

Born 1929

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1883 FOOTBALL

François Geeraerts

1927 - 2008

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1889 FOOTBALL

Franz Carlier

1924 - 2006

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1891 DIPLOMAT

Marcel Rijmenans

1922 - 2012

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1892 FOOTBALL

August Hofman

1923 - 2003

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1901 JOURNALIST

Frans Strieleman

1926 - 1999

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1925 DIPLOMAT

Ragnar Petri

Born 1921

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