50.8462° N, 4.3558° E

BRUSSELS

Most Famous People Born in Brussels, Belgium

Notable people
3,534
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1912
Most distinctive
Painter 4.3×

A small capital with an outsized share of painters and architects. Brussels's distinctive professions are painters and architects at more than three times the global rate, alongside sculptors, artists, composers, and a deep film bench — the legacy of the Académie Royale, the franco-belge comics tradition, and a postwar Belgian cinema that punched above its weight. The 19th century is unusually heavy here, when Brussels was one of the wealthiest cities in Europe and art nouveau was inventing itself in the streets around the Palais Royal.

Through the Centuries

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

What Brussels Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Painter is Brussels's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (399).

Brussels over-indexes on painter4.3× the global rate.

Brussels under-produces football — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Painter399
  2. Politician394
  3. Actor199
  4. Football198
  5. Writer170
  6. Architect108
  7. Lawyer89
  8. Singer82
  1. Painter3994.3×
  2. Architect1083.4×
  3. Sculptor612.6×
  4. Artist782.1×
  5. Film821.9×
  6. Composer751.6×
  1. Football1980.5×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Art & Design
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Other
All3,534
Sort By

Showing 170 of 3,534 notable people

0004 NOVELIST

Julio Cortázar

1914 - 1984

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0109 IMPÉRIAL

Louis, Prince Napoléon

1914 - 1997

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0157 SKIER

Christl Cranz

1914 - 2004

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0187 WRITER

Dominique Rolin

1913 - 2012

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0221 TEACHER

André Van Lysebeth

1919 - 2004

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0238 CHESS

Albéric O'Kelly de Galway

1911 - 1980

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0271 OPERA

Suzanne Danco

1911 - 2000

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0272 FIGHTER

Andrée de Jongh

1916 - 2007

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0280 PRIEST

Jean Jérôme Hamer

1916 - 1996

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0355 ACTOR

Andrée Tainsy

1911 - 2004

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0402 CIRCUS

Rosa Bouglione

1910 - 2018

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0403 WRITER

Anne Philipe

1917 - 1990

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0415 PAINTER

Rachel Baes

1912 - 1983

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0445 PAINTER

Ade Bethune

1914 - 2002

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0457 ARCHITECT

Jules Wabbes

1919 - 1974

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0476 EXPLORER

Gaston de Gerlache

1919 - 2006

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0486 THEOLOGIAN

Charles Moeller (priest)

1912 - 1986

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0492 HERO

Johan Hendrik Weidner

1912 - 1994

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0495 ART HISTORIAN

René Berger

1915 - 2009

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0504 ACTOR

Lotte Koch

1913 - 2013

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0538 WRITER

Louis Évely

1910 - 1985

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0545 AIRMAN

Albert Guérisse

1911 - 1989

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0562 ACTOR

Paule Herreman

1919 - 1991

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0578 ACTOR

Helene Whitney

1914 - 1990

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0620 THEOLOGIAN

Roger Aubert

1914 - 2009

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0667 JOURNALIST

Paul M. G. Lévy

1910 - 2002

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0673 ANARCHIST

Louis Mercier-Vega

1914 - 1977

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0730 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Jacques Maquet

1919 - 2013

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0790 JOURNALIST

Raymond de Becker

1912 - 1969

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0841 FOOTBALL

Joseph Van Ingelgem

1912 - 1989

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0857 LAWYER

Robert Senelle

1918 - 2013

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0879 FOOTBALL

Philibert Smellinckx

1911 - 1977

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0913 ARTIST

Wilchar

1910 - 2005

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0929 FOOTBALL

Jean Fievez

1910 - 1997

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0971 ARCHITECT

Claude Strebelle

1917 - 2010

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0974 FOOTBALL

Fernand Buyle

1918 - 1992

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1026 POLITICIAN

Dov Bar-Nir

1911 - 2000

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1048 POLITICIAN

Raymond Scheyven

1911 - 1987

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1072 FOOTBALL

Constant Vanden Stock

1914 - 2008

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1074 SONGWRITER

Nelly Byl

1919 - 2011

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1100 PILOT

Jean Offenberg

1916 - 1942

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1111 FILM

André Cavens

1912 - 1971

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1112 ENGINEER

Erna Hamburger

1911 - 1988

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1115 ACTOR

Lex Goudsmit

1913 - 1999

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1135 FIGHTER

Gabrielle Weidner

1914 - 1945

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1146 SPORT

Jean-François Van Der Motte

1913 - 2007

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1150 DRIVER

Georges Berger

1918 - 1967

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1155 PILOT OFFICER

Jean de Selys Longchamps

1912 - 1943

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1171 WRITER

Jeanine Moulin

1912 - 1998

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1173 BOBSLED

Louis-Georges Niels

1919 - 2000

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1178 MUSIC

Jacques Stehman

1912 - 1975

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1190 ARISTOCRAT

Marie Clotilde Bonaparte

1912 - 1996

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1224 RACER

Christian Kautz

1913 - 1948

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1242 BOTANIST

Paul Heinemann

1916 - 1996

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1267 SOLDIER

Ferdinand Käs

1914 - 1988

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1314 WRITER

Jean Libert (écrivain)

1913 - 1995

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1327 SPORT

Théo Herckenrath

1912 - 1973

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1338 SPY

Georges Delfanne

1913 - 1947

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1385 HISTORIAN

Claude Backvis

1910 - 1998

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1416 WRITER

Eugénie De Keyser

1918 - 2012

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1417 PAINTER

Jean Stevo

1914 - 1974

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1426 SPORT

Robert Wierinckx

1915 - 2002

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1474 SINGER

Marcel Thielemans

1912 - 2003

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1475 DRIVER

Charles Van Acker

1912 - 1998

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1490 WRITER

Paul Nothomb

1913 - 2006

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1524 LAWYER

René Blieck

1910 - 1945

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1567 THEATRE

Maurice Huisman

1912 - 1993

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1594 THEOLOGIAN

Pierre de Locht

1916 - 2007

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1657 ATHLETIC

Pol Braekman

1919 - 1994

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1692 ACADEMIC

John Verhoogen

1912 - 1993

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1728 PAINTER

Englebert Van Anderlecht

1918 - 1961

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1735 SPITFIRE PILOT

Henri Picard

1916 - 1944

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1769 PAINTER

Robert Schuiten

1912 - 1997

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1782 ACTOR

Élyane Célis

1914 - 1962

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1807 BASKET

Louis Van De Goor

Born 1915

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1812 PUBLISHER

Georges Lambrichs

1917 - 1992

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1832 OFFICER

Godfrey McHugh

1911 - 1997

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1844 OFFICIER

Michel Fourquet

1914 - 1992

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1884 PAINTER

Ginette Javaux

1915 - 2005

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1896 BASKET

Henri Hermans

Born 1919

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1913 CHAMPION

Theo Dubois

1911 - 2011

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1933 BASKET

Pierre Van Basselaere

Born 1915

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1961 WRITER

Nelly Kristink

1911 - 1995

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1975 ARCHITECT

Marcel Lambrichs

1917 - 1986

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1986 PAINTER

Jean-Marie Strebelle

1916 - 1989

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2001 POET

René Micha

1913 - 1992

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2018 WRITER

Robert Kanters

1910 - 1985

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2051 AUTHOR

Marie-Louise Henry

1911 - 2006

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2088 ARCHITECT

Philippe Dumont

1914 - 1988

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2134 PHILOSOPHER

Georges Van Riet

1916 - 1998

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2168 ARCHITECT

Paul-Amaury Michel

1912 - 1988

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2178 PEDIATRICIAN

Carlos Sáenz Herrera

1910 - 1980

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2195 ACTOR

Sabine André

Born 1913

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2209 ECONOMIST

Étienne Sadi Kirschen

1913 - 2000

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2221 ACTOR

Denise Carvenne

1918 - 1980

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2223 PAINTER

Maurice De Meyer

1911 - 1999

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2233 ARTISTE

Jean Dypréau

1917 - 1986

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2250 LITERARY

Paul Delsemme

1913 - 2008

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2261 WRITER

Charles Paron

1914 - 1986

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2281 BASKET

René Demanck

Born 1912

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2300 WRITER

Paul Kinnet

Born 1915

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2308 POET

Fernand Verhesen

1913 - 2009

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2309 FOOTBALL

François Vanden Eynde

Born 1911

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2332 FOOTBALL

Marius Mondelé

1913 - 1981

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2335 BASKET

Émile Laermans

Born 1914

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2343 POLITICIAN

Pierre Van Halteren

1911 - 2009

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2354 FOOTBALL

Henri Dekens

1914 - 1976

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2367 BISCHOF

Joseph-Pierre-Albert Wittebols

1912 - 1964

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2383 ARCHITECT

Curt Siegel (Architekt)

1911 - 2004

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2396 ACTOR

Claude Étienne

1917 - 1992

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2454 SCULPTOR

Raymond Glorie

1918 - 2015

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2477 ACTOR

Jacques Huisman

1910 - 2001

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2499 PRIEST

Pierre Bouckaert

1914 - 1992

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2509 PAINTER

Henri Gabriel

1918 - 1994

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2521 POLITICIAN

Paul Delforge

1919 - 1989

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2569 FILM

Pierre Levie

1916 - 2010

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2590 RÉSISTANCE

Jean Burgers

1917 - 1944

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2597 NOVELIST

Henri Ferval

Born 1913

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2610 POLITICIAN

Harold Charles d'Aspremont Lynden

1914 - 1967

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2612 ASTRONOMER

Joseph Hunaerts

1912 - 1979

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2615 OFFICER

Georges Danloy

1911 - 1999

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2616 ROMANIST

Louis Mourin

1913 - 2005

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2620 ROWER

René Vingerhoet

1912 - 2008

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2642 PAINTER

Marcel Pire

1913 - 1991

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2685 RÉSISTANT

Robert Rossi

1913 - 1944

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2687 POLITICIAN

Armand de Baudry d'Asson (1910-1998)

1910 - 1998

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2692 COLLECTOR

Olivier Allard

1910 - 1981

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2778 POLITICIAN

Jozef Deschuyffeleer

1913 - 1959

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2792 WRITER

Gaston Vandenpanhuyse

1913 - 1981

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2795 BANDLEADER

Ivon De Bie

1914 - 1989

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2826 FOOTBALL

Gaston Grandain

Born 1911

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2847 POLITICIAN

André Saint-Rémy

1913 - 1984

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2875 LAWYER

Richard Beauthier

1913 - 1999

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2889 MILITAR

Werner Pötschke

1914 - 1945

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2966 FOOTBALL

Arnold Deraeymaeker

1916 - 1987

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2996 SECRETARY

Ferdinand de Grève

1910 - 1980

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3096 LAWYER

René Drèze

1915 - 1963

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3102 POLITICIAN

Pierre Bosson

1910 - 1942

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3112 WRITER

Margarita de Pedroso y Sturdza

1911 - 1989

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3122 PIANIST

Rudy Bruder

Born 1914

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3126 POLITICIAN

Pierre Rouelle

1910 - 2002

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3127 AVIATEUR

Charles de Hepcée

1911 - 1944

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3136 INTELLIGENCE

Roger Hentges

Born 1917

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3157 FOOTBALL

Albert Mettens

1912 - 2003

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3164 AGENT

André Wendelen

1915 - 1976

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3189 HISTORIAN

Louis-François Vanderstraeten

1919 - 2011

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3211 SPORT

Robert Allart

Born 1913

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3213 BANDLEADER

Jeff De Boeck

Born 1918

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3215 CHEMIST

Albert Bruylants

1915 - 1990

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3225 MUSIC

Jean Douchamps

1915 - 1976

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3278 POLITICIAN

Alexandre Corbeau

1913 - 1981

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3292 CANOE

Charles Pasquier

Born 1914

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3309 RÉSISTANCE

Mathieu De Jonge

1911 - 1944

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3321 FENCER

Marcel Nys

Born 1912

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3347 ARCHITECT

Émile Goffay

1910 - 1961

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3354 LAWYER

Abraham Fogelbaum

1915 - 1942

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3367 SPORT

Werner De Spoelberch

1912 - 1998

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3389 OFFICER

Louis Rémy

1916 - 1992

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3391 DIPLOMAT

Paul Bihin

Born 1911

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3400 DRUMMER

Gaston Bogaert (Musiker)

Born 1911

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3405 SECRÉTAIRE

Robert Thonon

1919 - 1944

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3409 JAZZ

Pol Clark

Born 1912

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3428 RÉSISTANCE

Maxime Vanpraag

1910 - 1945

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3434 WRITER

Anne Sylvius

Born 1910

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3435 POET

Jacques Montaur

1911 - 1994

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3444 MILITANT

Valère Passelecq

1919 - 1944

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3462 LAWYER

Geneviève Janssen-Pevtschin

1915 - 2011

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3474 WRITER

Pol Branden

Born 1912

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3485 DIPLOMAT

Marcel Dupret

1910 - 1971

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3494 ACTUARY

Max Lacroix

1913 - 2009

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