Famous People

Actors and Actresses

André Delvaux
Ann Petersen
Audrey Hepburn, British actress born in Belgium
Benoît Poelvoorde
Bernard Cogniaux
Cécile de France
Christian Labeau
Émilie Dequenne
Jacky Lafon
Jan Decleir
Jean Claude Van Damme
Jérémie Renier
Marie Gillain
Natacha Régnier
Olivier Gourmet
Patrick Bauchau
Philippe Volter
Yolande Moreau

Architects

Gustave Strauven (1878 - 1919)
Henry Van de Velde (1863 - 1957)
Jules Wabbes (1919 - 1974)
Paul Hankar (1859 - 1901)
Paul Saintenoy (1862 - 1952)
Victor Horta (1861 - 1947)
Xaveer De Geyter (born 1957)

Authors

Albrecht Rodenbach
Amélie Nothomb
Anne Provoost
Anton Bergmann (1835-1874)
August Snieders (1825-1904)
Baron Gerard Walschap
Camille Lemonnier
Charles De Coster (1827 - 1879)
Cyriel Buysse (1859 - 1932)
Emile Cammaerts (1878 - 1953)
Emile Verhaeren
Ernest Claes (1885 - 1968)
Erwin Mortier - novelist, essayist, poet.
Felix Timmermans
Ferdinand Augustijn Snellaert (1809-1872)
Frans Rens (1805-1874)
Gentil Theodoor Antheunis (1840-1907)
Georges Eekhoud
Georges Rodenbach - Symbolist poet and novelist
Georges Simenon
Guido Gezelle
Hendrik Conscience (1812 - 1883)
Henri Michaux - poet and painter
Herman Brusselmans (born 1957)
Herman de Coninck
Herman Teirlinck
Hugo Claus (born 1929)
Isidoor Teirlinck (1851-1934)
Ivo Michiels
Jacob van Maerlant
Jacqueline Harpman
Jan Lambrecht Domien Sleeckx (1818-1901)
Jan Renier Snieders (1812-1888)
Jan Theodoor van Rijswijck (1811-1849)
Jan van Beers (1821-1888)
Jean Ray
Jef Geeraerts
Joanna Courtmans (1811-1890)
Johan Michiel Dautzenberg (1808-1869)
Julio Cortázar, Argentinian writer born in Brussels
Julius de Geyter (1830-1905)
Karel Lodewijk Ledeganck (1805-1847)
Karel van de Woestijne
Kristien Hemmerechts
Lodewijk de Koninck (1838-1924)
Louis Paul Boon (1912 - 1979)
Marcel Mariën - surrealist
Marguerite Yourcenar, French novelist born in Belgium
Maria Doolaeghe (1803-1884)
Maria Rosseels (1916-2005),
Marnix Gijsen (1899-1984)
Maurice Maeterlinck - Nobel Prize in Literature 1911
Michel De Ghelderode (1898 - 1962)
Octave Pirmez
Paul Nougé - surrealist
Paul Van Ostaijen
Peter Frans Van Kerckhoven (1818-1857)
Peter Verhelst
Philipp Blommaert (1809-1871)
Pierre Mertens
Pieter Aspe (born 1953)
Pol de Mont (1857-1931)
Prudens van Duyse (1804-1859)
Raoul Vaneigem
Reimond Stijns (1850-1905)
Rosalie Loveling (1834-1875)
Stijn Streuvels
Suzanne Lilar - essayist, novelist, and playwright (1901-1992)
Tom Lanoye
Virginie Loveling (1836-1923)
Willem Elsschot

Businesspeople and Economists

Albert Frère - self made businessman
Alexandre Galopin (1879 - 1944) - director of the Société Générale de Belgique
Alfred Lowenstein (1877-1928), soldier, aviator, sportsman, entrepreneur
Bruno van Pottelsberghe (born 1968)
Édouard-Jean Empain
Étienne Davignon
George Forrest
Georges Jacobs
Georges Nagelmackers
Gustave de Molinari - economist
Maurice Lippens
Philippe van Parijs
Rob Heyvaert - founder of Capco
Silvio Gesell

Cartoonists

André Franquin
Eddy Paape
Edgar P. Jacobs
François Walthéry
Gilbert Delahaye
Hergé (Georges Remi)
Hermann Huppen
Janry (Jean-Richard Geurts)
Jean Roba
Jean Van Hamme
Jef Nys
Jijé (Joseph Gillain)
Lambil (Willy Lambillote)
Marc Sleen (Marc Neels)
Marcel Marlier
Merho
Morris (Maurice de Bevere)
Peyo (Pierre Culliford)
Philippe Tome (Philippe Vandevelde)
Raoul Cauvin
Roger Leloup
Will (Willy Maltaite)
Willy Vandersteen

Choreographers

Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker
Philippe Callens

Composers

Adrian Willaert
André Grétry
César Franck
Charles Loos
Cypriano de Rore
Didier van Damme
François Joseph Fétis
François Joseph Gossec
Giaches de Wert
Gilles Binchois
Guillaume Lekeu
Henri Pousseur
Henri Vieuxtemps
Ivan Caryll
Jacob Clemens non Papa
Jacques Loeillet
Jean Absil
Jean-Baptiste Loeillet de Ghent
Johannes Ockeghem
Joseph Jongen
Josquin des Prez
Karel Goeyvaerts
Nicolas Gombert
Orlande de Lassus
Peter Benoit
Vidna Obmana, the pseudonym of Dirk Serries
Wim Mertens

Fashion

Ann Demeulemeester
Dirk Bikkembergs
Dries Van Noten
Liz Claiborne, American designer born in Belgium
Martin Margiela
Olivier Strelli
Raf Simons
Rik Wouters
Walter Van Beirendonck

Filmmakers

André Delvaux
Benoît Mariage
Chantal Akerman
Dominique Deruddere
Erik Van Looy
Gérard Corbiau
Harry Kümel
Henri Storck
Jacques Feyder
Jan Bucquoy
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Jonas Geirnaert
Luc Dardenne
Lucas Belvaux
Marc Didden
Rémy Belvaux
Robbe De Hert
Roland Lethem
Stijn Coninx
Tom Barman

Historians

François-Louis Ganshof
Henri Pirenne
Ludo Martens
Philippe de Commines
Pierre François Xavier de Ram
Xavier Mabille

Humorists

Alex Agnew
Geert Hoste
Lieven Scheire
Noël Godin, "l'entarteur", aka Monsieur Gloup-Gloup
Philippe Geluck
Raymond Devos, French humorist born in Belgium
Urbain Servranckx (Urbanus)
Journalists
Koenraad Elst

Military Figures

Ambiorix - Gaul warlord
Baldwin I of Jerusalem - Crusader
Charlemagne
Charles Martel
Edgard Potier - Pilot during the World War II
Frank De Winne - astronaut
Godfrey of Bouillon - Crusader
Jean Schramme, mercenary

Models

Ann Van Elsen
Anouck Lepere, supermodel (born in Antwerp)
Brigitta Callens
Elise Crombez
Ellen Petri
Ingrid Parewijck
Ingrid Seynhaeve
Jessica Van Der Steen (from Antwerp)
Stephanie Meire
Tanja Dexters
Tom Nuyens, supermodel from Antwerp, first Mister World (1996).
Véronique De Kock (born in Antwerp)

Musicians and Singers

Alex Callier - Hooverphonic
Anne Wolf - pianist
Arno Hintjens - TC Matic
Arthur De Greef - pianist and composer
Arthur Grumiaux - violinist
Axelle Red
Bart Peeters - The Radios
Belle Perez
Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobby Jaspar
Brian Molko - Placebo
Charles Loos
Daan Stuyven - Dead Man Ray
Django Reinhardt
Eddy Wally
Elmore D
Eugène Ysaÿe - violinist and composer
Fanny Heldy - opera soprano
Flip Kowlier
Francy Boland - jazz pianist, arranger
Fud Leclerc
Geike Arnaert - Hooverphonic
Helmut Lotti
Jacques Brel
Jan Leyers - Soulsister
Jeanine Deckers, a.k.a. The Singing Nun or Soeur Sourire
Jean-Luc De Meyer - Front 242
Jonas Steur - Trance DJ and Producer
Kate Ryan
Lara Fabian
Lio
Luc De Vos - Gorki
Luc Van Acker of The Revolting Cocks
Marc Moulin - Telex
Maurane
Maurice Engelen - Praga Khan, Lords of Acid
Mauro Pawlowski - Evil Superstars, dEUS
Mike Dierickx, a.k.a M.I.K.E. - Trance DJ and producer
Natacha Atlas
Paul Michiels - Soulsister
Peter Evrard - winner of Idool 2003, Belgian edition of Pop Idol
Peter Verhoyen
Philippe Herreweghe - conductor
Philippe Lafontaine
Pierre Leemans (conductor and composer)
Piet Goddaer - Ozark Henry
Plastic Bertrand (Roger Jouret)
Pol Plançon
Raymond van het Groenewoud
René Thomas
Rita Gorr - mezzo soprano
Rudy Trouvé
Sandra Kim
Sandy Boets - Touch of Joy, Xandee
Sarah Bettens - K's Choice
Sigiswald Kuijken - violinist and conductor
Stef Kamil Carlens - Zita Swoon
Stéphane Galland
Suzanne Danco - soprano
Tim Vanhamel - Evil Superstars, Eagles of Death Metal, Millionaire
Tom Barman - dEUS
Toots Thielemans
Urbanus van Anus
Will Tura
Wim Mertens

Painters

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven
Antoine Joseph Wiertz
Bernard van Orley
Constant Permeke
David Teniers the Younger
Emile Claus
Eugeen Van Mieghem
Félicien Rops
Fernand Khnopff
Fernand Verhaegen
Frans Snyders
Frits Van den Berghe
Gaspar De Crayer
Gerard David
Gustave De Smet
Gustave Van de Woestijne
Hans Memling
Hugo van der Goes
Jaak De Koninck
Jacob Jordaens
James Ensor
Jan van Eyck
Jean Delville
Justus of Ghent
Kwinten Metsys (a.k.a. Quentin Matsys/Quentin Massys)
Leon Spilliaert
Limbourg brothers
Luc Tuymans
Paul Delvaux
Peter Paul Rubens
Petrus Christus
Philippe de Champaigne
Pierre Alechinsky
Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Pieter Pourbus
Raoul De Keyser
René Magritte
Robert Campin
Roger Raveel
Rogier van der Weyden (a.k.a. Rog(i)er de la Pasture
Sir Anthony van Dyck (Antoon van Dyck)
Théo van Rysselberghe
Xavier Mellery

Photographers

Carl de Keyzer
Leon Van Loo

Religious Figures

Saints

St. Gertrude of Nivelles
St. Gudula from Brussels and Eibingen - National Saint of Belgium and Patroness of Brussels
St. Hubertus
St. John Berchmans

Theologians and Clergymen

Blessed Father Damien (Joseph De Veuster)
Blessed John Ruysbroeck - mystic
Brother René Stockman - Superior General of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity
Charles A. Didier - General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Charles de Noyelle, 12th Superior General of the Jesuits.
Cornelius Jansen - bishop, theologian (Jansenism)
Désiré-Joseph Mercier - cardinal
Everard Mercurian, 4th Superior General of the Jesuits.
Ferdinand Verbiest - Jesuit missionary inChina, Astronomer
Georges Pire - Dominican priest, Nobel Peace Prize 1958
Godfried Danneels - cardinal
Gustaaf Joos - cardinal
Henry of Ghent - medieval philosopher
Jacques Dupuis - Jesuit theologian (interreligious dialogue)
Jan Pieter Schotte - cardinal
Jean Bolland - hagiographer
Jean-Baptiste Janssens - 27th Superior General of the Jesuits
Joseph André, priest, Righteous among the Nations.
Joseph Maréchal - philosopher, psychologist
Jozef-Ernest van Roey - cardinal
Leo Jozef Suenens - cardinal
Leonardus Lessius - Jesuit theologian
Pierre-Lambert Goossens - cardinal
Pieter Jan Beckx, 22th Superior General of the Jesuits.
Victor-Auguste Dechamps - cardinal

Resistance Workers

Albert Guérisse (1911-1989)
Andrée "Dédée" de Jongh (born 1916)
Arthur Haulot (1913-2005)
Edgard Potier (1903-1944)
Gabrielle Weidner (1914-1945)
Henri Reynders (Dom Bruno) (1903 - 1981)
Johan Hendrik Weidner (1912-1994)
Suzanne Spaak (c.1905-1944)

Science

Botanists

Alfred Cogniaux (1841 - 1916)
Barthélemy Charles Joseph du Mortier

Chemists

Ernest Solvay
Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1977 (born in Russia)
Jean Stas
Jean-Claude Lorquet

Geographers

Abraham Ortelius
Gerardus Mercator

Geologists

Alphonse Francois Renard
Gaston Briart

Inventors and Engineers

Adolphe Sax - inventor of the saxophone
André Waterkeyn - engineer, best known for creating the Atomium
Arthur Vierendeel - engineer and inventor of the Vierendeel truss
Bart Preneel - cryptographer
Egide Walschaerts - engineer and inventor
Joan Daemen - cryptographer (Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Rijndael)
John Joseph Merlin - inventor associated with Cox's timepiece. He also invented inline skates in 1759.
Leo Hendrik Baekeland - inventor of bakelite
Robert Cailliau - information and control engineer
Vincent Rijmen - cryptographer (Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Rijndael)
Zénobe Gramme - electrical engineer

Mathematicians

Adolphe Quetelet
Adriaan van Roomen
André Tacquet
Antoine Thomas
Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin
Constantin Le Paige
Eugène Charles Catalan
Francois d'Aguilon
Ingrid Daubechies
Jacques Tits
Jean Bourgain
Jean-Charles de la Faille
Joseph Tilly
Pierre Deligne
Simon Stevin
Victor d'Hondt

Other Scientists

Adrien de Gerlache - explorer
Albert Claude - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974
Albert Hustin - medical doctor, the first to practice non-direct blood transfusion
Andreas Vesalius - anatomist
Benoît Lengelé - medical doctor, the first to perform a partial face transplant
Catherine Verfaillie - stem cell researcher
Christian De Duve - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974 (born in Britain of Belgian parents)
Claude Lévi-Strauss, French scientist born in Belgium
Corneille Heymans - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1938
Dirk Frimout - first Belgian astronaut
Georges Lemaître - priest & astronomer, the first cosmologist to propose the Big Bang theory.
Jan Baptist van Helmont - chemist, physiologist and physician
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster - born in Ghent
Jos Verhulst - scientist, philosopher
Joseph Plateau - physicist
Jules Bordet - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1919
Justus Lipsius - classical philologian
Louis-Joseph Seutin - surgeon
Luce Irigaray - French philosopher, born in Belgium
Marc Waelkens - archeologist
Michel Louette - ornithologist
Paul Janssen
Paul Otlet - information architect

Sculptors

Constantin Meunier
Delphine Boël
François Duquesnoy
Jan Fabre
Jean-Michel Folon
May Claerhout
Olivier Strebelle
René Carcan

Sports

Automobile Racing

André Milhoux - Formula One driver
André Pilette - Formula One driver
Arthur Legat - Formula One driver
Bas Leinders - racing driver
Bertrand Gachot - racing driver
Camille Jenatzy - race car driver
Charles de Tornaco - Formula One driver
Christian Goethals - Formula One driver
Eric van de Poele - Formula One driver
François Duval - racing driver
Georges Berger - Formula One driver
Jacky Ickx - racing driver
Jacques Swaters - Formula One driver
Johnny Claes - Formula One driver
Lucien Bianchi - Formula One driver
Olivier Gendebien - race car driver
Patrick Neve - Formula One driver
Paul Frère - Formula One driver
Philippe Adams - Formula One driver
Teddy Pilette (born 1942) - Formula One driver
Théodore Pilette - racing driver
Thierry Boutsen - racing driver
Willy Mairesse - Formula One driver

Cycling

Alberic Schotte
Alex Close
Andrei Tchmil
Axel Merckx
Bart Wellens
Eddy Merckx
Eric De Vlaeminck
Filip Meirhaeghe
Frank Vandenbroucke
Fred de Bruyne
Freddy Maertens
Hélène Dutrieu
Jean-Pierre Monseré
Johan Bruyneel
Johan Museeuw
Lucien Van Impe
Mario Aerts
Matthew Gilmore
Patrick Sercu
Philippe Thys
Rik Van Looy
Rik Van Steenbergen
Roger De Vlaeminck
Roland Liboton
Romain Maes
Stan Ockers
Sven Nys
Tom Boonen
Willy Lauwers

Football (Soccer)

Aimé Anthuenis - coach
Anthony Vanden Borre - player
Bart Goor - player
Bernard Voorhoof - player
Branko Strupar - player
Cédric Roussel - player
Constant Vanden Stock - honorary president and former president and player of football club R.S.C. Anderlecht
Daniel Van Buyten - player
Emile Mpenza - player
Enzo Scifo - player, coach
Eric Gerets - player
Erwin Vandenbergh - player
Filip De Wilde - goalkeeper
Floribert N'Galula - player
Francis Severeyns - player
Frank De Bleeckere - referee
Franky Van Der Elst - player, coach
Franky Vercauteren - player, coach
Geert De Vlieger - goalkeeper
Georges Grün - player
Gert Verheyen - player
Gilbert Van Binst - player
Glen De Boeck - player
Gunter Van Handenhoven - player
Guy Thys - coach
Jan Ceulemans - player, coach
Jan Van Steenberghe - player
Jean-Marc Bosman - player
Jean-Marie Pfaff - goalkeeper
Jonathan Legear - player
Joseph Mermans - player
Josip Weber - player
Koen Daerden - player
Laurent Delorge - player
Lei Clijsters - player, coach
Lorenzo Staelens - player
Luigi Pieroni - player
Luis Oliveira - player
Marc Degryse - player
Marc Wilmots - football player and elected senator
Mark De Man - player
Mbo Mpenza - player
Michel Preud'homme - goalkeeper
Nico Vaesen - goalkeeper
Oleg Iachtchouk - player
Olivier Deschacht - player
Olivier Doll - player
Paul Van Himst - player, coach
Philippe Albert - player
Raymond Goethals - coach
Roger Vanden Stock - president of football club R.S.C. Anderlecht
Sandy Martens - player
Silvio Proto - goalkeeper
Steed Malbranque - player
Stijn Stijnen - goalkeeper
Thomas Buffel - player
Timmy Simons - player
Toni Brogno - player
Tony Sergeant - player
Tristan Peersman - goalkeeper
Vincent Kompany - player
Walter Baseggio - player
Wesley Sonck - player
Yves Vanderhaeghe - player