List of Belgians

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable Belgian people who either:

  • are or were Belgian citizens at least for sometime in their life,
  • were born in Belgium or in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but who were not or are not Belgian citizens (either because Belgium did not exist at the time of their life or because they had or have another citizenship). The names of people of this category are italicized.

The list also comprises

  • fictional characters who are undisputedly Belgians
  • important ones whose citizenship is unknown, or not Belgian and with Belgian creators. The names of fictional characters of this category are italicized.

The same person may appear under several headings.

Artists[]

See also: List of Belgian women artists and List of Belgian architects
  • Nicolas Ancion (born 1971)
  • Gentil Theodoor Antheunis (1840–1907)
  • Pieter Aspe (1953–2021)
  • Henry Bauchau (1913–2012)
  • Jean-Marie Berckmans (1953–2008)
  • Anton Bergmann (1835–1874)
  • Hendrik Beyaert (1823–1894)
  • Philipp Blommaert (1809–1871)
  • Louis Paul Boon (1912–1979)
  • Cris Brodahl (born 1963)
  • Elisa Brune (born 1966)
  • Herman Brusselmans (born 1957)
  • Cyriel Buysse (1859–1932)
  • Emile Cammaerts (1878–1953)
  • Sophie Cauvin (born 1968)
  • Ernest Claes (1885–1968)
  • Hugo Claus (1929–2008)
  • Hendrik Conscience (1812–1883)
  • Julio Cortázar – Argentinian writer born in Brussels
  • Joanna Courtmans (1811–1890)
  • Fernand Crommelynck
  • Albéric d'Auxy
  • Johan Daisne
  • Jacques Danois (1927–2008)
  • Johan Michiel Dautzenberg (1808–1869)
  • Herman de Coninck (1944–1997)
  • Charles De Coster (1827–1879)
  • Julius de Geyter (1830–1905)
  • Xaveer De Geyter (born 1957)
  • Michel De Ghelderode (1898–1962)
  • Lodewijk de Koninck (1838–1924)
  • Gilbert Delahaye
  • Patricia de Martelaere
  • Pol de Mont (1857–1931)
  • Filip De Pillecyn (1891–1962)
  • Paul De Wispelaere
  • Christine D'Haen
  • Neel Doff (1858–1942)
  • Maria Doolaeghe (1803–1884)
  • Gaston Durnez (1928–2019)
  • Georges Eekhoud
  • Willem Elsschot
  • Jef Geeraerts
  • Guido Gezelle
  • Marnix Gijsen (1899–1984)
  • Maurice Gilliams
  • Sozyone Gonzalez
  • Germain Joseph Hallez
  • Paul Hankar (1859–1901)
  • Jacqueline Harpman
  • Kristien Hemmerechts
  • Stefan Hertmans
  • Victor Horta[1] (1861–1947) – architect and designer
  • Henry Kistemaeckers – novelist, and playwright (1872–1938)
  • Hubert Lampo
  • Tom Lanoye
  • Victor Leclercq
  • Karel Lodewijk Ledeganck (1805–1847)
  • Camille Lemonnier
  • Suzanne Lilar – essayist, novelist, and playwright (1901–1992)
  • Rosalie Loveling (1834–1875)
  • Virginie Loveling (1836–1923)
  • Maurice Maeterlinck – Nobel Prize in Literature 1911
  • Marcel Mariën – surrealist
  • Bob Mendes
  • Pierre Mertens
  • Henri Michaux[2] – poet and painter
  • Ivo Michiels
  • Léonard Misonne (1870–1943) – photographer, a founder of Pictorialism
  • Erwin Mortier – novelist, essayist, poet
  • Alice Nahon
  • Leonard Nolens
  • Amélie Nothomb
  • Pierre Nothomb
  • Paul Nougé – surrealist
  • Octave Pirmez
  • Charles Plisnier – Prix Goncourt 1937
  • Sophie Podolski (1953–1974)
  • Anne Provoost
  • Jean Ray (pseudonym for Raymundus Joannes de Kremer) (1887–1964)
  • Frans Rens (1805–1874)
  • Albrecht Rodenbach
  • Georges Rodenbach – Symbolist poet and novelist
  • Maria Rosseels (1916–2005)
  • Ward Ruyslinck
  • Paul Saintenoy (1862–1952)
  • Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (1858–1910)
  • Georges Simenon (1903–1989)
  • Jan Lambrecht Domien Sleeckx (1818–1901)
  • Ferdinand Augustijn Snellaert (1809–1872)
  • August Snieders (1825–1904)
  • Jan Renier Snieders (1812–1888)
  • Reimond Stijns (1850–1905)
  • Gustave Strauven (1878–1919)
  • Stijn Streuvels
  • Christophe Szpajdel (born 1970)
  • Herman Teirlinck
  • Isidoor Teirlinck (1851–1934)
  • Jotie T'Hooft
  • Felix Timmermans
  • Jan van Beers (1852–1927)
  • Jos Vandeloo
  • Walter van den Broeck
  • Henry Van de Velde (1863–1957)
  • Karel van de Woestijne
  • Prudens van Duyse (1804–1859)
  • Raoul Vaneigem
  • Peter Frans Van Kerckhoven (1818–1857)
  • Jacob van Maerlant
  • Paul Van Ostaijen
  • Bob Van Reeth (born 1943)
  • Jan Theodoor van Rijswijck (1811–1849)
  • Anton van Wilderode (1918–1998)
  • Emile Verhaeren
  • Peter Verhelst
  • Dimitri Verhulst
  • August Vermeylen (1872–1945)
  • Jules Wabbes (1919–1974)
  • Gerard Walschap
  • Francois Weyergans
  • Jan Frans Willems (1793–1846)
  • Marguerite Yourcenar[2][3] – French novelist born in Belgium

Businesspeople and economists[]

Criminals[]

  • Nordine Ben Allal – multiple escapes
  • Madani Bouhouche – police officer, accused of being a member of the Brabant killers
  • Pierre Carette – terrorist, member of the Communist Combatant Cells
  • Kim De Gelder – murdered several babies in a babycare center
  • Muriel Degauque – Belgian woman who committed a suicide terrorist attack in Bagdad in 2005
  • Marc Dutroux – rapist and serial killer
  • Bert Eriksson – head of the extreme-right organisation Vlaamse Militanten Orde, convicted for founding a private army
  • Patrick Haemers – kidnapper of former Prime Minister Paul Vanden Boeynants
  • Murat Kaplan – co-member of Patrick Haemers' gang
  • Jean-Baptiste Sipido – tried to assassinate Edward VII of the United Kingdom (still then Crown Prince) during a 1900 visit to Brussels
  • Jean-Pierre Van Rossem – convicted for Ponzi fraud
  • Hans Van Themsche – teenager with far-right sympathies who went on a killing spree and murdered three people in the street
  • Robert Jan Verbelen – Nazi collaborator and murderer of businessman Alexandre Galopin
  • Hippolyte Visart de Bocarmé – nobleman who poisoned his brother-in-law with nicotine

Fictional characters[]

  • Achilles de Flandres – antagonist in Orson Scott Card's Shadow series
  • Adhemar – comics character by Marc Sleen
  • Cowboy Henk – absurd comic character drawn by Herr Seele and written by Kamagurka
  • Dr. Evil – main villain in the Austin Powers films
  • Gaston Lagaffe – comics character by André Franquin
  • Jo, Zette and Jocko – comics characters by Hergé
  • Jommeke – comics character by Jef Nys
  • De Kiekeboes – comics characters by Merho
  • Lucky Luke – comics character created by Morris (cartoonist)
  • Nero comics character by Marc Sleen
  • Phillipe Loren, Wallonian antagonist of Saints Row: The Third
  • Piet Pienter en Bert Bibber, comics characters by Pom.
  • Hercule Poirot – literary detective, created by Agatha Christie.
  • Quick & Flupke – comics characters by Hergé who live in Brussels.
  • Samson en Gert – characters from a popular Flemish television series
  • Les Schtroumpfs – known as The Smurfs in English, cartoon characters in a series of graphic novels by Peyo
  • Suske en Wiske – comics characters by Willy Vandersteen.
  • Spirou et Fantasio – comics characters by André Franquin
  • Tintin – comics character by Hergé.
  • Corporal Trenet – from Martin Aitchison's comics series Luck of the Legion.[4]

Historians[]

Main article: List of Belgian historians

Humorists[]

  • Alex Agnew – also the lead singer of Diablo Blvd
  • Gaston Berghmans
  • Jan Bucquoy
  • Annie Cordy
  • Wouter Deprez
  • Raymond Devos
  • Bert Gabriëls
  • Philippe Geluck – best known for his comic strip Le Chat
  • Noël Godin – "l'entarteur", aka Monsieur Gloup-Gloup
  • Geert Hoste
  • Kamagurka
  • Hugo Matthysen
  • Lieven Scheire
  • Les Snuls
  • Urbain Servranckx (Urbanus)
  • Mark Uytterhoeven

Journalists[]

Military figures[]

  • Ambiorix – Gaulish warlord
  • Baldwin I of Constantinople – Crusader, first Latin Emperor
  • Baldwin I of Jerusalem – Crusader, King of Jerusalem
  • Jean-Pierre de Beaulieu – Belgian-born Austrian general
  • Adrian Carton de Wiart – Belgian-born British lieutenant general
  • Charlemagne – founder of the Frankish Empire
  • Charles V – Holy Roman Emperor
  • Clovis I, King of the Franks
  • Godfrey of Bouillon – Crusader and first King of Jerusalem
  • Charles Martel – Duke of the Franks, stopped the Muslim expansion at Poitiers
  • Pepin of Herstal – Duke of the Franks
  • Pepin the Short – first Carolingian King of the Franks
  • Edgard Potier – pilot during World War II
  • Jean Schramme – mercenary
  • Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly – field marshal
  • Léon de Witte – General during World War I
  • Count Henry Robert Visart de Bury et de Bocarmé C.B.E. – lieutenant colonel (ret'd)

Models[]

Monarchs[]

Main article: List of Belgian monarchs
  • Albert I
  • Albert II
  • Baudouin
  • Charles V of Habsburg – Holy Roman Emperor
  • Charles VII of Habsburg – Holy Roman Emperor
  • Charlemagne – Holy Roman Emperor
  • Clemens August of Bavaria, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne
  • Leopold I
  • Leopold II
  • Leopold III
  • Philippe

Performing artists[]

Actors and actresses[]

Composers[]

  • Jean Absil
  • Florent Alpaerts
  • Peter Benoit
  • Gilles Binchois
  • Ivan Caryll
  • Jacob Clemens non Papa
  • Marie Daulne
  • Frédéric Devreese
  • Guillaume Dufay
  • François Joseph Fétis
  • César Franck – Belgian composer who worked in Paris
  • Karel Goeyvaerts
  • Nicolas Gombert
  • François Joseph Gossec
  • André Grétry
  • Henri-Guillaume Hamal
  • Joseph Jongen
  • Orlande de Lassus (a.k.a. Orlandus Lassus/Orlando di Lasso) – born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
  • Guillaume Lekeu
  • Jacques Loeillet – baroque composer
  • Jean-Baptiste Loeillet de Ghent – baroque composer
  • Charles Loos
  • Wim Mertens
  • Vidna Obmana – pseudonym of Dirk Serries
  • Johannes Ockeghem
  • Henri Pousseur
  • Josquin des Prez
  • Cypriano de Rore
  • Didier van Damme
  • Pieter van Maldere
  • Carl Verbraeken
  • Henri Vieuxtemps
  • Giaches de Wert
  • Adrian Willaert
  • Eugène Ysaÿe

Dance and choreography[]

Filmmakers[]

See also: List of Belgian film directors

Musicians and singers[]

See also: List of Belgian bands and artists
  • Salvatore Adamo (Italian living in Belgium)
  • Alice on the Roof
  • Angèle
  • Geike Arnaert – Hooverphonic
  • Natacha Atlas
  • Typh Barrow
  • Blanche
  • Baloji – Starflam
  • Tom Barman – dEUS
  • Claude Barzotti
  • Plastic Bertrand – Roger Jouret
  • Sam Bettens – K's Choice
  • Sandy Boets – Xandee
  • Francy Boland – jazz pianist, arranger
  • Bony King of Nowhere
  • Brahim (Belgian singer)
  • André Brasseur
  • Jacques Brel
  • Tina Bride
  • Alex Callier – Hooverphonic
  • Stef Kamil Carlens – Zita Swoon
  • Philippe Catherine
  • Ann Christy
  • André Cluytens – Belgian-born conductor
  • Annie Cordy
  • Mathieu Crickboom – violinist
  • Suzanne Danco – soprano
  • Marie Daulne – Zap Mama
  • Jeanine Deckers – Soeur Sourire a.k.a. The Singing Nun
  • Wim De Craene
  • Arthur De Greef – pianist and composer
  • Jean-Luc De Meyer – Front 242
  • Luc De Vos – Gorki
  • Tom Dice
  • Mike Dierickx – Push, M.I.K.E.; trance DJ and producer
  • Elmore D
  • Tim Driesen
  • Maurice Engelen – Praga Khan, Lords of Acid
  • Peter Evrard – winner of Idool 2003, Belgian edition of Pop Idol
  • Lara Fabian
  • Frédéric François
  • Stéphane Galland
  • Wouter de Backer – Gotye (born in Belgium, now lives in Australia)
  • Ferre Grignard
  • Piet Goddaer – Ozark Henry
  • Rita Gorr – mezzo-soprano
  • Arthur Grumiaux – violinist
  • David Guetta – French disc jockey of Belgian descent on mother's side
  • Hadise
  • Fanny Heldy – opera soprano
  • Philippe Herreweghe – conductor
  • Arno Hintjens – TC Matic
  • Bobby Jaspar
  • Ya Kid K – Technotronic
  • Sandra Kim
  • Dani Klein – Vaya Con Dios
  • Flip Kowlier
  • Sigiswald Kuijken – violinist and conductor
  • Philippe Lafontaine
  • Victor Lazlo
  • Fud Leclerc
  • Pierre Leemans – conductor and composer
  • Jo Lemaire
  • Jan Leyers – Soulsister
  • Lio
  • Charles Loos
  • Helmut Lotti
  • Machiavel
  • Maurane
  • Paul Michiels – Soulsister
  • Brian Molko – Placebo
  • Marc Moulin – Telex
  • Loïc Nottet
  • Mauro Pawlowski – Evil Superstars, dEUS
  • Bart Peeters
  • Belle Perez
  • Frédérique Petrides (née Mayer) – conductor
  • Pol Plançon – basso
  • Pierre Rapsat
  • Hugo Raspoet
  • Axelle Red
  • Django Reinhardt
  • Roméo Elvis
  • Kate Ryan
  • Liliane Saint-Pierre
  • Bobbejaan Schoepen
  • Siouxsie Sioux (Belgian father, English mother)
  • Jonas Steur – trance DJ and producer
  • Stromae
  • Selah Sue
  • Woodie Smalls – Rapper and Songwriter
  • Tamino
  • Toots Thielemans
  • René Thomas
  • Rudy Trouvé
  • Will Tura
  • Luc van Acker – of the Revolting Cocks
  • Urbanus van Anus
  • Tim Vanhamel – Evil Superstars, Eagles of Death Metal, Millionaire
  • Paul Van Haver – Stromae
  • Raymond van het Groenewoud
  • Dirk Verbeuren – Soilwork
  • Peter Verhoyen – flutist
  • Eddy Wally
  • Koen Wauters – Clouseau
  • Kris Wauters – Clouseau
  • Anne Wolf – pianist
  • Eugène Ysaÿe – violinist and composer

Theater directors[]

  • Christian Labeau
  • Stephen Shank

Politicians[]

A – C[]

  • Frans Ackerman
  • Magda Aelvoet
  • Meyrem Almaci
  • Bert Anciaux
  • Jules Joseph d'Anethan
  • Gerolf Annemans
  • Bernard Anselme
  • Marie Arena
  • Auguste Beernaert – Nobel Peace Prize 1908
  • Wouter Beke
  • Ivo Belet
  • Ward Beysen
  • Fons Borginon
  • Geert Bourgeois
  • Frederika Brepoels
  • Charles de Broqueville
  • Henri de Brouckere
  • Jules de Burlet
  • Bernard du Bus de Gisignies
  • Philippe Busquin
  • Henri Carton de Wiart
  • Marcel Cheron
  • Willy Claes
  • Philip Claeys
  • Guy Coëme
  • Alexandra Colen
  • André Cools
  • Gerhard Cooreman
  • Hugo Coveliers
  • Hilde Crevits

D[]

E – K[]

L[]

M[]

N – R[]

  • Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
  • Jean-Baptiste Nothomb
  • Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb
  • Laurette Onkelinx
  • Kris Peeters
  • Joseph Pholien
  • Charles Picqué
  • Hubert Pierlot
  • Prosper Poullet
  • Jules Renkin
  • Jean Rey
  • Didier Reynders
  • Frédérique Ries
  • Charles Rogier
  • Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns – founder of Institut de Droit International, adviser to Rama V of Thailand
  • Jean-Pierre Van Rossem

S – U[]

V[]

  • Achille van Acker
  • Jacob van Artevelde
  • Frans Van Cauwelaert
  • Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe
  • Johan Vande Lanotte
  • Hugo Vandenberghe
  • Paul Vanden Boeynants
  • Freya Van den Bossche
  • Luc Van den Bossche
  • Frank Vandenbroucke
  • Jules Vandenpeereboom
  • The family Vanderpoorten: Arthur, Herman and Marleen
  • Emile Vandervelde
  • Frank Vanhecke
  • Johan Van Hecke
  • Pierre-Edouard van Humbeeck
  • Anne Van Lancker
  • Dirk Van Mechelen
  • Karel Van Miert
  • Vincent Van Quickenborne
  • Eric Van Rompuy
  • Herman Van Rompuy
  • Jean-Pierre Van Rossem
  • Paul Van Zeeland
  • Guy Verhofstadt
  • Inge Vervotte

W – Y[]

  • Melchior Wathelet
  • Freddy Willockx
  • Charles Woeste
  • Yvan Ylieff

Religious figures[]

Saints[]

  • St. Damien of Molokai
  • St. Gertrude of Nivelles
  • St. Gudula from Brussels and Eibingen – National Saint of Belgium and Patroness of Brussels
  • St. Hubertus
  • St. John Berchmans
  • St. Meingold of Huy

Theologians and clergymen[]

  • Joseph André – priest, Righteous among the Nations
  • Pieter Jan Beckx – 22nd Superior General of the Jesuits
  • Jean Bolland – hagiographer
  • Adolf Daens – priest and politician
  • Godfried Danneels – cardinal
  • Victor-Auguste Dechamps – cardinal
  • Jozef De Kesel – cardinal
  • Jacques Dupuis – Jesuit theologian (interreligious dialogue)
  • Pierre-Lambert Goossens – cardinal
  • Henry of Ghent – medieval philosopher
  • Augustinus Hunnaeus – theologian
  • Cornelius Jansen – bishop, theologian (Jansenism)
  • Jean-Baptiste Janssens – 27th Superior General of the Jesuits
  • Gustaaf Joos – cardinal
  • Peter Paul Lefevere – bishop
  • André-Mutien Léonard – archbishop
  • Leonardus Lessius – Jesuit theologian
  • Joseph Maréchal – philosopher, psychologist
  • Désiré-Joseph Mercier – cardinal
  • Everard Mercurian, 4th Superior General of the Jesuits
  • Charles de Noyelle, 12th Superior General of the Jesuits
  • Georges Pire – Dominican priest, Nobel Peace Prize 1958
  • Edward Poppe – blessed priest
  • Jozef-Ernest van Roey – cardinal
  • Blessed John Ruysbroeck – mystic
  • Jan Pieter Schotte – cardinal
  • Brother René Stockman – Superior General of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity
  • Leo Jozef Suenens – cardinal
  • Franciscus van den Enden – philosopher, teacher, pioneer of the idea of democracy
  • Ferdinand Verbiest – Jesuit missionary in China, astronomer

Resistance activists[]

Scientists[]

Astronauts[]

  • Frank De Winne
  • Dirk Frimout – first Belgian astronaut

Botanists[]

Chemists[]

  • Jan Baptist van Helmont (1579–1644) – chemist and physician
  • Jean-Claude Lorquet – theoretical chemist
  • Ilya Prigogine – theoretical chemist Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1977 (born in Russia)
  • Ernest Solvay
  • Jean Stas

Geographers[]

  • Gerardus Mercator
  • Abraham Ortelius

Geologists[]

  • Gaston Briart
  • Alphonse Francois Renard – geologist and petrographer

Inventors and engineers[]

  • Leo Hendrik Baekeland – inventor of bakelite
  • Alfred Belpaire – steam locomotive engineer
  • Robert Cailliau – information and control engineer
  • Joan Daemen – cryptographer (Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Rijndael)
  • Zénobe Gramme – electrical engineer
  • Étienne Lenoir – engineer
  • John Joseph Merlin – inventor associated with Cox's timepiece; also invented inline skates in 1759
  • Bart Preneel – cryptographer
  • Vincent Rijmen – cryptographer (Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Rijndael)
  • Adolphe Sax – inventor of the saxophone
  • Rennequin Sualem – created the Machine de Marly
  • Arthur Vierendeel – engineer and inventor of the Vierendeel truss
  • Egide Walschaerts – steam locomotive engineer and inventor of the Walschaerts valve gear
  • André Waterkeyn – engineer, best known for creating the Atomium

Mathematicians[]

Medical scientists[]

  • Jules Bordet – Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1919
  • Albert Claude – Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974
  • Christian De Duve – Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974 (born in Britain of Belgian parents)
  • Corneille Heymans – Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1938
  • Albert Hustin – medical doctor, the first to practice non-direct blood transfusion
  • Paul Janssen – scientist and founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica
  • Marc Lacroix – biochemist and cancer researcher
  • Benoît Lengelé – medical doctor, the first to perform a partial face transplant
  • Louis-Joseph Seutin – surgeon
  • Edouard Van Beneden – embryologist, cytologist and marine biologist
  • Catherine Verfaillie – stem cell researcher
  • Andreas Vesalius – anatomist
  • Luc Calliauw – brain surgeon and professor
  • Rudi Pauwels – pharmacologist and entrepreneur

Philosophers[]

  • Jan Deckers
  • Luce Irigaray – French philosopher, born in Belgium
  • Etienne Vermeersch

Physicists[]

  • Robert Brout
  • Francois Englert – Nobel Prize in Physics 2013
  • Jean-Pierre Leburton
  • Georges Lemaître – deviser of the Big Bang Theory
  • Joseph Plateau
  • Daniel Zajfman (born 1959) – Israeli physicist; president of the Weizmann Institute

Political scientists and theorists[]

  • Rik Coolsaet
  • Vincent de Coorebyter
  • Abram Leon
  • Ernest Mandel
  • Chantal Mouffe

Social scientists[]

  • Paul Jorion – anthropologist, sociologist, cognitive scientist, and economist
  • Claude Lévi-Strauss – French social scientist born in Belgium
  • Renee Rabinowitz – psychologist and lawyer

Others[]

  • Louis De Geer (1587–1652) – born in Liège; considered the father of Swedish industry
  • Charles Frédéric Dubois and his son Alphonse Joseph Charles Dubois – naturalists
  • Adrien de Gerlache – explorer
  • John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster – born in Ghent
  • Justus Lipsius – classical philologian
  • Michel Louette – ornithologist
  • Paul Otlet – information architect
  • Marc Waelkens – archaeologist

Sports[]

Automobile racing[]

Basketball[]

Cycling[]

Including mountain biking and cyclo-cross

Fencing[]

  • Henri Anspach – épée and foil fencer, Olympic champion[11]
  • Paul Anspach – épée and foil fencer, two-time Olympic champion[11]
  • Jacques Ochs (1883–1971) – épée, saber, and foil fencer, Olympic champion[11]
  • Gaston Salmon (1878–1917) – épée fencer, Olympic champion

Football (soccer)[]

Category: Belgian footballers

  • Philippe Albert – player
  • Toby Alderweireld – player
  • Aimé Anthuenis – coach
  • Christian Benteke – player
  • Jean-Marc Bosman – player
  • Jan Ceulemans – player, coach
  • Lei Clijsters – player, coach
  • Rik Coppens – player
  • Thibaut Courtois – goalkeeper
  • Frank De Bleeckere – referee
  • Kevin De Bruyne – player
  • Steven Defour – player
  • Marc Degryse – player
  • Mousa Dembélé – player
  • Marouane Fellaini – player
  • Eric Gerets – player, coach
  • Raymond Goethals – coach
  • Georges Grün – player
  • Eden Hazard – player
  • Thorgan Hazard – player
  • Stein Huysegems – player
  • Karel Kesselaers – player
  • Vincent Kompany – player
  • Romelu Lukaku – player
  • Joseph Mermans – player
  • Vic Mees – player
  • Roy Meeus – player
  • Thomas Meunier – player
  • Simon Mignolet – goalkeeper
  • Kevin Mirallas – player
  • Emile Mpenza – player
  • Jean-Marie Pfaff – goalkeeper
  • Michel Preud'homme – goalkeeper, coach
  • Enzo Scifo – player, coach
  • Timmy Simons – player
  • Wesley Sonck – player
  • Lorenzo Staelens – player
  • Guy Thys – coach
  • Youri Tielemans – player
  • Gilbert Van Binst – player
  • Daniel Van Buyten – player
  • Erwin Vandenbergh – player
  • Constant Vanden Stock – honorary president and former president and player of football club R.S.C. Anderlecht
  • Roger Vanden Stock – president of football club R.S.C. Anderlecht
  • Franky Van der Elst – player
  • Wim Van Diest – player
  • Paul Van Himst – player, coach
  • Wilfried Van Moer – player
  • Franky Vercauteren – player, coach
  • Gert Verheyen – player
  • Thomas Vermaelen – player
  • Jan Vertonghen – player
  • Bernard Voorhoof – player
  • Marc Wilmots – football player and elected senator
  • Axel Witsel – player

Golf[]

Judo[]

Motocross[]

  • René Baeten – 1958 500cc motocross World Champion
  • Marnicq Bervoets – top motocross competitor from the 1990s
  • Sven Breugelmans – 2005 MX3-GP World Champion
  • Roger De Coster – five-time 500cc Motocross World Champion
  • Harry Everts – three-time Motocross World Champion, father of Stefan Everts
  • Stefan Everts – ten-time Motocross World Champion
  • Eric Geboers – five-time Motocross World Champion
  • Sylvain Geboers – motocross des Nations winner
  • Georges Jobé – five-time Motocross World Champion
  • André Malherbe – three-time Motocross World Champion
  • Jacky Martens – 1991 500cc World Champion
  • Gaston Rahier – three-time 125cc Motocross World Champion
  • Steve Ramon – two-time Motocross World Champion
  • Joël Robert – six-time 250cc Motocross World Champion
  • Joël Smets – three time 500cc Motocross World Champion

Swimming[]

  • Brigitte Becue – swimmer
  • Gérard Blitz – Olympic bronze (100-m backstroke), International Swimming Hall of Fame
  • Fred Deburghgraeve – swimmer, Olympic champion (100-m breaststroke)
  • Ingrid Lempereur – swimmer
  • Pieter Timmers – Olympic silver (100-m front crawl)

Table tennis[]

  • Jean-Michel Saive – player

Tennis[]

  • Sabine Appelmans – player
  • Els Callens – player
  • Kim Clijsters – player, former World #1, Masters 2002–2003–2010 winner and four-time Grand Slam singles champion
  • Steve Darcis – player
  • Kirsten Flipkens – player
  • David Goffin – player
  • Arthur De Greef –player
  • Justine Henin – player, Olympic champion, former World #1, Masters 2006–2007 winner and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion
  • Xavier Malisse – player
  • Elise Mertens – player
  • Dominique Monami – player
  • Christophe Rochus – player
  • Olivier Rochus – player
  • Kristof Vliegen – player
  • Yanina Wickmayer – player

Track and field[]

  • Bashir Abdi – athlete
  • Eline Berings – athlete
  • Dylan Borlée – athlete
  • Jonathan Borlée – athlete
  • Kevin Borlée – athlete
  • Olivia Borlée – athlete
  • Fons Brijdenbach – athlete
  • Veerle Dejaeghere – track and field athlete
  • Peter Genyn – athlete
  • Kim Gevaert – athlete, European champion 100 and 200 metres
  • Tia Hellebaut – athlete, European champion high jump, Olympic champion high jump
  • Karel Lismont – athlete
  • Philip Milanov – athlete
  • Roger Moens – athlete
  • Mohammed Mourhit – athlete
  • Koen Naert – athlete, European champion marathon
  • Emiel Puttemans – athlete
  • Gaston Reiff – athlete, Olympic champion
  • Gaston Roelants – athlete, Olympic champion
  • Vincent Rousseau – athlete
  • Patrick Stevens – athlete
  • Nafissatou Thiam – athlete, Olympic, world and European champion heptathlon
  • Cédric Van Branteghem – athlete
  • Ivo Van Damme – athlete
  • William Van Dijck – athlete
  • Marieke Vervoort – athlete

Triathlon[]

  • Marc Herremans – wheelchair champion
  • Claire Michel
  • Kathleen Smet – 2005 world champion
  • Marino Vanhoenacker
  • Frederik Van Lierde – world champion Iron Man 2013
  • Luc Van Lierde – two-time world champion and winner Iron Man
  • Benny Vansteelant – four-time world champion duathlon standard and long distance

Water polo[]

  • Gérard Blitz (1901–1979) – swimming and water polo, two-time Olympic silver, two-time bronze (one in swimming – 100-m backstroke), International Swimming Hall of Fame, son of Maurice Blitz
  • Gérard Blitz (1912–1990) – water polo player and founder of Club Med
  • Maurice Blitz – water poloist, two-time Olympic silver, father of Gérard Blitz
  • Henri Cohen – Olympic silver

Other[]

  • Luca Brecel – snooker player
  • Annelies Bredael – rower
  • Raymond Ceulemans – billiards player
  • Frédéric Collignon – table soccer; ITSF multi-time and currently acting world champion
  • Nina Derwael – artistic gymnast, world champion uneven bars, two-time European champion
  • Nathalie Descamps – badminton player
  • Wendy Jans – snooker player, 2006 IBSF Women's World Champion
  • Frank Ntilikina – NBA basketball player – French Nationality, born in Belgium[12]
  • Tony Parker – NBA basketball player – French nationality, born in Belgium[13]
  • John Raphael, rugby union player
  • Jacques Rogge – IOC president
  • Tarec Saffiedine – mixed martial artist
  • Seppe Smits – snowboarder
  • Bart Swings – inline and speed skater
  • Paul Van Asbroeck – marksman
  • Kevin van der Perren – figure skating
  • Hubert Van Innis – archer
  • Virgile Vandeput (born 1994) – Belgian-born alpine skier who competes for Israel
  • Bart Veldkamp – speed skater
  • Ann Wauters – WNBA basketball player

Visual artists[]

Comics[]

See also: List of comic creators § Belgium

Fashion[]

  • Antwerp Six
  • Dirk Bikkembergs
  • Veronique Branquino
  • Liz Claiborne – American designer born in Belgium
  • Elise Crombez
  • Ann Demeulemeester
  • Martin Margiela
  • Hanne Gaby Odiele
  • Elvis Pompilio
  • Raf Simons
  • Olivier Strelli
  • Walter Van Beirendonck
  • Dries van Noten
  • Édouard Vermeulen

Painters[]

Main article: List of Belgian painters
  • Pierre Alechinsky – Cobra member
  • Joachim Beuckelaer
  • Adriaen Brouwer
  • Pieter Bruegel the Elder,[14] and his family, including Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Jan Brueghel the Elder, and Jan Brueghel the Younger
  • Robert Campin
  • Petrus Christus
  • Emile Claus – impressionism
  • Gerard David
  • Philippe de Champaigne
  • Gaspar de Crayer
  • Raoul De Keyser – abstract painter
  • Paul Delvaux – surrealist
  • Jean Delville – symbolist painter
  • Albert Demuyser
  • Gustave De Smet – expressionism
  • Sam Dillemans
  • James Ensor
  • Frans Floris
  • Adriaen Isenbrandt
  • Jacob Jordaens
  • Justus of Ghent
  • Claire Kerwin
  • Fernand Khnopff – symbolist
  • Georges Emile Lebacq – Impressionist, Post-Impressionist painter
  • Limbourg brothers[15] – manuscript illuminators
  • Lambert Lombard
  • Jan Mabuse[16]
  • René Magritte[17] – surrealist
  • Xavier Mellery – symbolist
  • Hans Memling
  • Kwinten Metsys (a.k.a. Quentin Matsys/Quentin Massys)
  • Joseph Noiret – painter and poet
  • Constant Permeke – expressionist
  • Pieter Pourbus
  • Roger Raveel
  • Félicien Rops
  • Peter Paul Rubens[18] – Baroque painter
  • Victor Servranckx – cubist
  • Frans Snyders
  • Leon Spilliaert
  • David Teniers the Younger
  • Luc Tuymans
  • Pieter van Aelst
  • Joos van Cleve
  • Frits Van den Berghe – expressionist
  • Hugo van der Goes[19]
  • Rogier van der Weyden[20] (a.k.a. Rog(i)er de la Pasture)original name : Rogier de LE Pasture in his city of Tournai
  • Gustave Van de Woestijne
  • Sir Anthony van Dyck[21] (Antoon van Dyck)
  • Jan van Eyck[22] and his brother Hubert van Eyck
  • Peter Van Gheluwe
  • Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven
  • Eugeen Van Mieghem
  • Bernard van Orley
  • Théo van Rysselberghe – neo-impressionist
  • Fernand Verhaegen – painter of Walloon folklore
  • Antoine Joseph Wiertz

Photographers[]

Sculptors[]

Others[]

  • Guillaume Bijl
  • Ade Bethune
  • Guy Bleus
  • Marcel Broodthaers
  • Jean De Bast
  • Victor Delhez
  • Wim Delvoye
  • Danny Devos
  • Dr. Hugo Heyrman
  • Solange Knopf
  • Panamarenko
  • Eefje Depoortere

Others[]

  • Arturo Alfandari – diplomat, creator of the language Neo
  • Christophe De Kepper – lawyer
  • Menachem Banitt – expert in medieval French language and culture
  • Edgard Colle – chess player
  • Sabine Dardenne – victim of child molester Marc Dutroux
  • Jeanne de Bellem – political activist during the Brabant revolution
  • Thierry de Duve – art critic and theorist
  • Henri Kichka (1926–2020) – writer and Holocaust survivor
  • Paul de Man – deconstructionist literary critic and theorist
  • Joanna DeRoover – oldest documented living person in Belgium at the time of her death
  • Piet Huysentruyt – chef and bestselling author
  • Jean-Denis Lejeune – founder of Child Focus
  • Claude Lelièvre – commissioner for children rights, French-speaking community
  • Jean-Baptiste Moëns – "father of philately"
  • Peter Piot – Director of UNAIDS
  • Zara Rutherford - Belgian-British aviator
  • Sybille de Selys Longchamps
  • Vanden Geyhn et Van Aerschodt – bell and carillon founders
  • Pierre Wynants – chef

See also[]

  • Belgian Americans
  • List of Belgian Americans
  • List of Belgian women writers
  • List of Belgium-related topics
  • List of fictional Belgians
  • Belgian Brazilians
  • Flemish people
  • List of people by nationality
  • List of people from Brussels

Notes[]

  1. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. p. 412. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  2. ^ a b Bloom, Harold (1994). The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. NY/San Diego/London: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 551–552. ISBN 978-1-57322-514-4.
  3. ^ "The Top 100 Books of All Time". The Guardian. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Martin Aitchison". lambiek.net.
  5. ^ "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". Sight & Sound. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  6. ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (2004). Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 419–420, 422–423. ISBN 0-8018-7840-3.
  7. ^ "The 100 Best Films of the 21st Century". The Guardian. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  8. ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (2004). Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 424. ISBN 0-8018-7840-3.
  9. ^ Hillier, Jim, ed. (1986). "Cahiers du Cinema Annual Best Films Listings 1960-68". Cahiers du Cinéma: 1960-1968: New Wave, New Cinema, Reevaluating Hollywood. Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press. pp. 333–334. ISBN 0-674-09062-4.
  10. ^ Veenstra, Rob (April 10, 2015). "Jos Verstappen over de nationaliteit van Max". www.gptoday.net. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Paul Taylor (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: the Clash between Sport and Politics: with a complete review of Jewish Olympic medallists. . ISBN 1-903900-88-3. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  12. ^ "The Knick who's barely 19: Ntilikina is enjoying the moment". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  13. ^ "Spur's Parker becomes famous Belgian in NBA Finals". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
  14. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 287–289. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  15. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 162–164. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  16. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 269–270. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  17. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 456–457. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  18. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 303–309. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  19. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  20. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 205–206. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  21. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 309–310. ISBN 978-0714847030.
  22. ^ Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon. pp. 175–180. ISBN 978-0714847030.
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