Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972), Prime Minister of Belgium (1938–1939, 1946 and 1947–1949), President of the United Nations General Assembly (1946–1957), Secretary-General of
NATO (1957–1961)
Ivo Van Damme (1954–1976), middle distance runner, silver medals at the
1976 Summer Olympics, in both the 800m and 1500m; Memorial van Damme in Brussels, one of the major track and field meets of the season, named in his honour
Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536), humanist and theologian; lived in
Anderlecht (Erasmus House) from 31 May until 28 October 1521
M. C. Escher (1898–1972), Dutch graphic designer, lived in
Uccle from 1937 to 1971
François-Joseph Fétis (1784–1871), musicologist, composer, critic and teacher, one of the most influential music critics of the 19th century; became director of the conservatory of Brussels and the chapelmaster of King Leopold I
Jan Greshoff (1888–1971), Dutch writer, lived from 1927 until 1939 in
Schaerbeek on the August Reyerslaan 130
Emma Orczy (1865–1947), Hungarian-British novelist, spent part of her childhood in Brussels (1868 to 1873)
Marius Petipa (1818–1910), French ballet choreographer, lived in Brussels from 1824 to 1834 and studied at the Royal Conservatory
Ilya Prigogine (1917–2003), physicist and chemist; studied chemistry in Brussels and was appointed in 1959 director of the International Solvay Institute in Brussels; awarded the 1977
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874 in Brussels), astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist; founded and directed the Brussels Observatory; inventor of the
body mass index
Vini Reilly (Vincent Reilly, born 1953), rock musician, guitarist of the English band
The Durutti Column; performed on
Morrissey's first solo album in 1988
Jan van Ruysbroeck (also known as Jan van den Berghe), architect of the 15th century; amongst his work is the belfry of the
Hotel de Ville of Brussels
John of Ruysbroeck (or Jan, Jean, Johannes) (c. 1293–1381), 'mystic', priest in Brussels and Groenendaal
Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki (1787–1860), Polish general, high-ranking officer of the Belgian army from 1832 to 1839
Jan Yoors (1922–1977), Flemish artist, studied at
La Cambre from 1941 to 1942
Brussels as a safe harbor
Brussels was known to be a
safe harbor for artists and thinkers facing political (or simply criminal) persecution. This was particularly true during the 19th century, although it was a cause of some debate, and policies were prone to change (e.g. the case of
Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels, who were expelled from the city in 1848).
Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972), Prime Minister of Belgium (1938–1939, 1946 and 1947–1949), President of the United Nations General Assembly (1946–1957), Secretary-General of
NATO (1957–1961)
Ivo Van Damme (1954–1976), middle distance runner, silver medals at the
1976 Summer Olympics, in both the 800m and 1500m; Memorial van Damme in Brussels, one of the major track and field meets of the season, named in his honour
Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536), humanist and theologian; lived in
Anderlecht (Erasmus House) from 31 May until 28 October 1521
M. C. Escher (1898–1972), Dutch graphic designer, lived in
Uccle from 1937 to 1971
François-Joseph Fétis (1784–1871), musicologist, composer, critic and teacher, one of the most influential music critics of the 19th century; became director of the conservatory of Brussels and the chapelmaster of King Leopold I
Jan Greshoff (1888–1971), Dutch writer, lived from 1927 until 1939 in
Schaerbeek on the August Reyerslaan 130
Emma Orczy (1865–1947), Hungarian-British novelist, spent part of her childhood in Brussels (1868 to 1873)
Marius Petipa (1818–1910), French ballet choreographer, lived in Brussels from 1824 to 1834 and studied at the Royal Conservatory
Ilya Prigogine (1917–2003), physicist and chemist; studied chemistry in Brussels and was appointed in 1959 director of the International Solvay Institute in Brussels; awarded the 1977
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874 in Brussels), astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist; founded and directed the Brussels Observatory; inventor of the
body mass index
Vini Reilly (Vincent Reilly, born 1953), rock musician, guitarist of the English band
The Durutti Column; performed on
Morrissey's first solo album in 1988
Jan van Ruysbroeck (also known as Jan van den Berghe), architect of the 15th century; amongst his work is the belfry of the
Hotel de Ville of Brussels
John of Ruysbroeck (or Jan, Jean, Johannes) (c. 1293–1381), 'mystic', priest in Brussels and Groenendaal
Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki (1787–1860), Polish general, high-ranking officer of the Belgian army from 1832 to 1839
Jan Yoors (1922–1977), Flemish artist, studied at
La Cambre from 1941 to 1942
Brussels as a safe harbor
Brussels was known to be a
safe harbor for artists and thinkers facing political (or simply criminal) persecution. This was particularly true during the 19th century, although it was a cause of some debate, and policies were prone to change (e.g. the case of
Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels, who were expelled from the city in 1848).