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 192 of 3,534 notable people

0011 SOVEREIGN

Baudouin of Belgium

1930 - 1993

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0024 KING

Albert II of Belgium

Born 1934

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0045 ACTOR

Patrick Bauchau

Born 1938

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0052 SINGER

The Singing Nun

1933 - 1985

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0056 PHYSICIST

François Englert

Born 1932

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0062 WRITER

Pierre Ryckmans (writer)

1935 - 2014

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0072 COMICS

Jean Van Hamme

Born 1939

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0091 COMICS

Greg (cartoonist)

1931 - 1999

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0117 NOVELIST

Misha Defonseca

Born 1937

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0127 PHILOSOPHER

FM-2030

1930 - 2000

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0130 ARTIST

William Vance

1935 - 2018

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0140 POLITICIAN

Philippe Moureaux

1939 - 2018

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0146 ARTIST

Guy Peellaert

1934 - 2008

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0152 CHEMIST

John M. Deutch

Born 1938

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0158 COMICS

Jean Roba

1930 - 2006

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0175 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Gérard Chaliand

Born 1934

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0212 POLITICIAN

Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

Born 1936

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0227 ACTOR

Giani Esposito

1930 - 1974

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0264 SCREENWRITER

Marc Simenon

1939 - 1999

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0282 ACTOR

Étienne Périer (director)

1931 - 2020

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0308 WRITER

Pierre Mertens

Born 1939

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0344 POLITICIAN

Henri Simonet

1931 - 1996

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0396 HISTORIAN

Farhad Daftary

Born 1938

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0409 CONDUCTOR

Pierre Bartholomée

Born 1937

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0420 POET

Liliane Wouters

1930 - 2016

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0425 PLAYWRIGHT

René Kalisky

1936 - 1981

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0435 MATHEMATICIAN

François Trèves

Born 1930

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0456 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Robert Sténuit

Born 1933

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0478 PAINTER

Marthe Wéry

1930 - 2005

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0491 ARTIST

Pierre Cordier

Born 1933

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0499 PRIEST

Daniel-Ange de Maupeou d'Ableiges

Born 1932

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0555 POLITICIAN

Étienne Pinte

Born 1939

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0565 AUTHOR

Jean-Claude van Itallie

Born 1936

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0610 ACTOR

Hélène Chatelain

1935 - 2020

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0611 POLITICIAN

Jos Chabert

1933 - 2014

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0612 AUTHOR

Marc Danval

Born 1937

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0627 ARCHITECT

Pierre Laconte

Born 1934

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0634 LAWYER

Patrick Nothomb

1936 - 2020

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0651 CHEF

Pierre Wynants

Born 1939

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0655 ACTOR

Annie Fargé

1934 - 2011

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0695 JOURNALIST

Ladislas de Hoyos

1939 - 2011

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0700 HUMOURIST

Stéphane Steeman

1933 - 2015

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0712 FOOTBALL

Pierre Hanon

1936 - 2017

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0791 FILM

Jean-Claude Tramont

1934 - 1996

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0794 FOOTBALL

Martin Lippens

1934 - 2016

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0827 PHILOLOGUE

Raymond Trousson

1936 - 2013

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0838 HISTORIAN

Maxime Steinberg

1936 - 2010

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0856 SPORT

Alexandre de Mérode

1934 - 2002

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0858 COMPOSER

Paul Danblon

1931 - 2018

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0860 COMICS

Yves Duval

1934 - 2009

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0874 FILM

Ivan Govar

1935 - 1988

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0884 SPORT

Yvonne Reynders

Born 1937

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0888 SINGER

Grand Jojo

Born 1936

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0902 NEWS PRESENTER

Frédéric François (journaliste)

1932 - 2017

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0938 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Armand de Ricqlès

Born 1938

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0960 SPORT

Richard Van Genechten

1930 - 2010

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1021 HISTORIAN

Xavier Mabille

1933 - 2012

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1041 ARTIST

Lucien De Gieter

Born 1932

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1064 POET

Willem Roggeman

Born 1935

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1069 ACTOR

Pierre Laroche (acteur)

1931 - 2014

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1070 COMPOSER

Jacques Leduc (compositeur)

1932 - 2016

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1077 PIANIST

Claude Coppens

Born 1936

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1127 FOOTBALL

Alexis Ponnet

Born 1939

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1128 COMPOSER

Frédéric van Rossum

Born 1939

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1211 FOOTBALL

Paul van den Berg

Born 1936

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1217 MOUNTAINEER

Claudio Barbier

1938 - 1977

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1254 WRITER

Jean van Win

Born 1935

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1264 JOURNALIST

Piet Van Brabant

1932 - 2006

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1275 RESEARCH

Lilyan Kesteloot

1931 - 2018

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1340 FILM

Chris Vermorcken

Born 1936

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1350 ACTOR

Jacques Collard

Born 1931

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1367 PAINTER

Pierre Heymans

Born 1935

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1368 PIANIST

Francis Coppieters

1930 - 1990

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1432 WRITER

Serge Goyens de Heusch

Born 1939

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1434 DIPLOMAT

André Adam

1936 - 2016

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1445 MATHEMATICIAN

Francis Buekenhout

Born 1937

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1448 ARTIST

Gérald Forton

Born 1931

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1452 ARTIST

Géri

1934 - 2015

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1482 COMPOSER

Robert Janssens

Born 1939

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1493 DIPLOMAT

Juan Cassiers

1931 - 2010

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1499 WRITER

Anne Richter

1939 - 2019

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1530 ARTIST

Francine Graton

1932 - 2011

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1537 THÉÂTRE

Jo Dekmine

1931 - 2017

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1552 WRITER

Daniel Robberechts

1937 - 1992

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1556 WRITER

Jacques Sojcher

Born 1939

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1565 ART CRITIC

Pierre Sterckx

1936 - 2015

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1578 CLARINET

Eddie Defacq

1933 - 2013

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1664 PAINTER

Jacques Lacomblez

Born 1934

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1672 POET

Anne Cluysenaar

1936 - 2014

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1695 DOCTEUR

Étienne Cerexhe

1931 - 2020

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1703 WRITER

Yvon Toussaint

1933 - 2013

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1704 MISSING

Marcel Jamagne

1931 - 2015

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1719 WRITER

Vladimir Grigorieff

1931 - 2017

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1806 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Michel Sintzoff

1938 - 2010

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1850 BASKET

Désiré Ligon

1931 - 2018

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1858 MATHEMATICIAN

Jean-Claude Falmagne

Born 1934

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1860 PAINTER

Jacques Muller (peintre belge)

1930 - 1997

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1862 POLITICIAN

Christian D'Hoogh

Born 1933

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1898 WRITER

Adolphe Nysenholc

Born 1938

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1912 HISTORIAN

Jean-Pierre Kesteman

1939 - 2016

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1914 WRITER

France Bastia

1936 - 2017

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1915 WRITER

Marie-Louise Dreier

Born 1936

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1920 POLITICIAN

Benoît de Bonvoisin

Born 1939

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1980 BUSINESS

Maurice Bidermann

1932 - 2020

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1989 POET

Colette Inez

1931 - 2018

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1998 BUSINESS

Daniel Janssen

Born 1936

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2007 PAINTER

Pierre Lahaut

1931 - 2013

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2025 JOURNALIST

Georges Lebouc

Born 1936

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2054 PHILOSOPHER

Ludovic Robberechts

Born 1935

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2085 FILM

Marc Lobet

Born 1939

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2104 CHEF

Pierre Romeijer

1930 - 2018

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2115 ARTIST

Luc Van Malderen

1930 - 2018

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2121 POET

Lucie Spède

1936 - 2010

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2173 PSYCHIATRIST

Léon Cassiers

1930 - 2009

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2183 MODEL

Annik Malvil

Born 1939

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2200 POLITICIAN

Claude Michel (homme politique, 1939-2013)

1939 - 2013

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2215 PHILOSOPHER

Georges Miedzianagora

1930 - 2003

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2228 PHYSICIST

Daniel Mattis

Born 1932

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2229 FOOTBALL

Gaston De Wael (football, 1934)

Born 1934

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2234 ACTOR

Charles Kleinberg

1937 - 2013

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2251 ACTOR

Guy de la Berg

1937 - 2014

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2265 BASSIST

Freddie Deronde

1938 - 2012

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2266 PHYSICIST

Jean Jeener

Born 1931

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2275 PIANIST

Joël Vandroogenbroeck

1938 - 2019

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2277 BANK

François Narmon

1934 - 2013

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2292 PHYSIOLOGIST

François Delange

1935 - 2007

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2307 WRITER

André Doms

Born 1932

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2327 POLITICIAN

Jacques Vandenhaute

1931 - 2014

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2338 WRITER

Raymond Ceuppens

1936 - 2002

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2365 PAINTER

Robert Preyer

1930 - 2012

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2371 ACADEMIC

Werner Kroeber-Riel

1934 - 1995

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2403 FOOTBALL

Augustin Janssens

Born 1930

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2426 LAWYER

Serge Moureaux

1934 - 2019

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2435 BANK

Jean-Pierre de Launoit

1935 - 2014

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2438 WRITER

Rivka Cohen

Born 1939

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2443 PAINTER

Luc Mondry

1938 - 1999

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2448 FILM

Jean-Marie Piquint

Born 1937

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2457 JOURNALIST

Jean-Marie Mersch

Born 1934

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2487 SINGER

Éric Robrecht

1932 - 2006

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2491 ROWER

Claude Dehombreux

1939 - 2010

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2529 FOOTBALL

Roland Moyson

Born 1934

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2581 ARTIST

François-Joseph Herman

1931 - 1963

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2600 ENGINEER

Roger Nicolet

1931 - 2020

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2621 FOOTBALL

Jean-Louis Straetmans

1931 - 2016

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2645 WRITER

Daniel Mallinus

1939 - 1990

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2660 POLITICIAN

Jean-Louis Thys

1939 - 1999

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2664 ILLUSTRATOR

Jean-Luc Béghin

Born 1939

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2681 BIOGRAPHER

Réginald Grégoire

1935 - 2012

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2683 DESSINATRICE

Lucques Trigaut

Born 1930

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2821 POET

Jean-Louis Crousse

1932 - 2008

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2823 ACTOR

Catherine Dejardin

1939 - 2005

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2837 PAINTER

Paul Timper

1937 - 2010

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2861 ATHLETIC

Paul Coppejans

1933 - 2018

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2870 CHOREOGRAPHER

Jacques Sausin

1932 - 2010

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2878 JÉSUS

Charles Didier

Born 1935

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2901 POLITICIAN

André Degroeve

1931 - 2014

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2904 ACTOR

Francine Vendel

1931 - 1998

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2920 ACTOR

Monique Dorsel

Born 1930

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2974 PAINTER

Guy Ducaté

Born 1936

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2981 DRIVER

Claude Dubois

Born 1932

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2998 JOURNALIST

Jacques Bredael

Born 1938

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3040 FILM

Willy Kempeneers

Born 1939

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3069 PAINTER

Igor-Albert Swingedau

1939 - 2008

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3077 ACTOR

Frederik Vanmelle

1936 - 1985

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3097 POLITICIAN

Thierry de Looz-Corswarem

Born 1932

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3101 POLITICIAN

Édouard Klein

1933 - 2008

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3128 DAUGHTER

Stéphanie Windisch-Graetz

1939 - 2019

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3151 POLITICIAN

François van Hoobrouck d'Aspre

1935 - 2020

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3152 JOURNALIST

René Thierry

1932 - 2012

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3161 POLITICIAN

André Monteyne

Born 1934

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3179 FOOTBALL

Joseph Van Mol

Born 1937

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3205 FENCER

Michel Constandt

Born 1938

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3221 NOVELIST

Willy Deweert

1936 - 2016

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3239 ARCHITECT

Jacques Nisot

Born 1931

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3256 THEATRE

Henri Chanal

1936 - 1969

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3268 FENCER

Jacques Debeur

1936 - 2004

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3273 FENCER

Claudine Wallet

Born 1932

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3289 POET

Michel Defgnée

1939 - 2005

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3300 ENGINEER

André Goffeau

1935 - 2018

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3315 FENCER

Marie Melchers

Born 1939

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3329 PHYSICIST

Paul Vandenplas

Born 1931

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3348 SPORT

Claude Englebert

Born 1936

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3357 ORGANBUILDER

Martin Kaufmann

Born 1935

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3365 PAINTER

Jacques Lejeune (peintre)

Born 1931

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3377 WRITER

Maurice Maelderlick

1931 - 2017

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3380 PAINTER

Richard Waegeneer

Born 1931

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3384 JAZZ

Pol Closset

1937 - 1989

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3404 BASKET

Eddy Terrace

1935 - 2013

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3417 SPORT

Camille Liénard

Born 1934

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3425 EDITOR

Willy Vandermeulen

1932 - 2013

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3465 LAWYER

Christian Lejeune

Born 1936

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3471 POLITICIAN

Jean De Hertog

1938 - 2012

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