List of Belgians Details, Meaning List of Belgians Article and Explanation Guide

List of Belgians Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description

This is a list of Belgian people, and more precisely of notable people who (1) were Belgian citizenss at least during one period of their life, or (2) are Belgian citizens, as well as of notable people (3) 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 the last category (3) are italicized.

The list also comprises (4) fictional characters who are undisputedly Belgians, and (5) important ones whose citizenship is unknown or not Belgian and with Belgian creators. The names of fictional characters of the last category (5) are italicized.

The same person may appear under several headings.

Actors/Actresses

Jan Decleir
Emilie Dequenne
Marie Gillain
Olivier Gourmet
Audrey Hepburn, British actress born in Belgium
Ann Petersen
Luc Philips
Benoît Poelvoorde
Natacha Régnier
Jérémie Renier
Jean Claude van Damme
Dora van der Groen

Architects

Victor Horta
Eugeen Liebaut
Paul Robbrecht
Henry Van de Velde
Bob Van Reeth
Marie-José Van Hee

Authors

Henry Bauchau

Louis Paul Boon
Cyriel Buysse
Emile Cammaerts
Ernest Claes
Hugo Claus
Hendrik Conscience
Fernand Crommelynck
Charles De Coster
Michel De Ghelderode
Georges Eekhoud
Willem Elsschot
Guido Gezelle
Jacqueline Harpman
Camille Lemonnier
Suzanne Lilar - essayist, novelist, and playwright
Jacob van Maerlant
Maurice Maeterlinck - Nobel Prize in Literature 1911
Marcel Mariën; - surrealist
Pierre Mertens
Henri Michaux - poet and painter
Amélie Nothomb
Paul Nougé - surrealist
Octave Pirmez
Jean Ray
Georges Rodenbach - Symbolist poet and novelist
Georges Simenon
Stijn Streuvels
Herman Teirlinck
Felix Timmermans
Karel van de Woestijne
Raoul Vaneigem
Paul Van Ostayen
Emile Verhaeren
Marguerite Yourcenar, French novelist born in Belgium

Choreographers

Maurice Béjart;
Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker
Wim Vandekeybus

Composers

Peter Benoit

Gilles Binchois
Jacob Clemens non Papa
Cypriano de Rore
Josquin des Prez
François Joseph Fétis;
César Franck;, Belgian composer who worked in Paris
Karel Goeyvaerts
Nicolas Gombert
François Joseph Gossec;
André Grétry;
Joseph Jongen
Léon 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
Wim Mertens
Vidna Obmana -- the pseudonym of Dirk Serries
Johannes Ockeghem
Henri Pousseur
Henri Vieuxtemps
Giaches de Wert
Adrian Willaert

Criminals

Nordine Ben Allal
Madani Bouhouche
Pierre Carette - terrorist
Marc Dutroux - rapist and serial killer
Patrick Haemers

Fashion

Dirk Bikkembergs
Veronique Branquino
Liz Claiborne, American designer born in Belgium
Ann Demeulemeester
Martin Margiela
Raf Simons
Walter Van Beirendonck
Dries Van Noten
Dirk Van Saene
Marina Yee

Fictional characters

Dr. Evil -- main villain in the Austin Powers films.
Jo, Zette and Jocko -- Belgian by their creator at least (Hergé)
Milo Perrier - the character based on Hercule Poirot in the film Murder by Death
Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie) -- a private detective.
Tintin -- reporter -- Belgian by its creator at least (Hergé)
Suske & Wiske;
Largo Winch -- Belgian by its creator at least
XIII -- Belgian by its creator at least

Filmmakers

Chantal Akerman
Stijn Coninckx
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne
Robbe De Hert
André Delvaux
Harry Kümel
Benoît Mariage
Raoul Servais - maker of animated films

Military Figures

Resistance Workers

Henri Gaillot

Albert Guerisse (1911-1989)
Andrée "Dédée" de Jongh (born 1916)
Georges Piron (1888-1943)
Edgard Potier (1903-1944)
Suzanne Spaak, (c.1905-1944)
Gabrielle Weidner (1914-1945)
Johan Hendrik Weidner (1912-1994)

Monarchs

See also: List of Belgian monarchs

Musicians, singers

Salvatore Adamo

Arno Hintjens
Natacha Atlas
Tom Barman
Claude Barzotti
Plastic Bertrand (Roger Jouret)
Julos Beaucarne
Sarah Bettens - of K's Choice
Jeff Bodart
Jacques Brel
Philippe Catherine
Charles Cluytens - conductor
Annie Cordy
Suzanne Danco - soprano
Jeanine Deckers, a.k.a. The Singing Nun or Soeur Sourire
Arthur De Greef - pianist and composer
David Dewaele - Soulwax
Stephen Dewaele - Soulwax
Lara Fabian
Jean-Luc Fonck
Frédéric François
Rita Gorr - mezzo soprano
Arthur Grumiaux - violinist
Philippe Herreweghe - conductor
Sandra Kim
Sigiswald Kuijken - violinist and conductor
Philippe Lafontaine
Victor Lazlo
Lio
Helmut Lotti
Maurane
Pierre Rapsat
Axelle Red
Ozark Henry
Django Reinhardt
Toots Thielemans
Rudy Trouvé
Will Tura
Eddy Wally
Eugène Ysaÿe; - violinist and composer

Painters

Pierre Alechinsky - Cobra member
Boucicaut Master - manuscript illuminator
Pieter Brueghel the Elder, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Robert Campin
Petrus Christus
Emile Claus - impressionism
Gerard David, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Philippe de Champaigne, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Gaspar De Crayer
Raoul De Keyser - abstract painter
Paul Delvaux - surrealist
Gustave De Smet - expressionism
James Ensor
Jacob Jordaens, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Justus of Ghent
Fernand Khnopff - symbolist
Limbourg brothers - manuscript illuminators
René Magritte - surrealist
Hans Memling, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Kwinten Metsys (a.k.a. Quentin Matsys/Quentin Massys), born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Constant Permeke - expressionist
Pieter Pourbus
Roger Raveel
Félicien Rops;
Peter Paul Rubens, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Victor Servranckx - cubist
Franz Snyders
Leon Spilliaert
David Teniers the Younger
Luc Tuymans
Frits Van den Berghe - expressionist
Hugo van der Goes
Rogier van der Weyden (a.k.a. Rog(i)er de la Pasture), born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Gustave Van de Woestijne
Sir Anthony van Dyck (Antoon van Dyck)
Jan van Eyck, born in the provinces of present-day Belgium, but before Belgium existed
Eugeen Van Mieghem
Bernard van Orley
Theo van Rysselberghe - neo-impressionist
Fernand Verhaegen - painter of walloon folklore
Antoine Joseph Wiertz