The Catholic University of Leuven or Louvain (french: Université catholique de Louvain, nl, Katholieke Hogeschool te Leuven, later ''Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven'') was founded in 1834 in Mechelen as the

Catholic University of Belgium The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, and moved its seat to the town of Leuven in 1835, changing its name to Catholic University of Leuven.''Encyclopédie théologique'', tome 54, ''Dictionnaire de l'histoire universelle de l'Église'', Paris : éd. J.P. Migne, 1863, ''sub verbo'' ''Grégoire XVI'', col. 1131 : "Après sa séparation de la Hollande en 1830, la Belgique libérale a vu son Église jouir d'une véritable indépendance. Les évêques s'assemblent en conciles, communiquent avec le Saint-Siège en toute liberté. Sur l'article fondamental des études, ils ont fondé l'université catholique de Louvain, où les jeunes Belges vont en foule puiser aux sources les plus pures toutes les richesses de la science". And : Edward van Even, ''Louvain dans le passé et dans le présent'', Louvain, 1895, p. 606 : "''Par lettre collective du 14 novembre 1833, le corps épiscopal s'adressa à Grégoire XVI, à l'effet d'obtenir l'autorisation nécessaire pour ouvrir l'école. Cette autorisation fut octroyée par un bref du 13 décembre suivant. Une circulaire épiscopale, datée du 20 février 1834, annonça aux fidèles la fondation d'une Université catholique''". In 1968 it was split into two universities, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the Université catholique de Louvain, following tensions between the Dutch and French-speaking student bodies.

History

Castle Arenberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven adj

Founding in Mechelen (1834)

On 8 November 1834, on the basis of authorisation in a papal brief of 13 December 1833 from Pope

Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...

, the Belgian bishops founded the Catholic University of Belgium ( la, Universitas catholica Belgii) in Mechelen. About this first year, it is generally referred to as "Catholic University of Mechelen". The bishops aimed to create a university "to accommodate any doctrine from the Holy Apostolic See and to repudiate anything that does not flow from this august source". The announcement of the bishops' founding of the new university in Mechelen was met with demonstrations and disturbances in the cities of

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

, Leuven and Liège. The first rector was the priest and historian Pierre de Ram.

Move of the new university to Leuven (1835)

The university was short-lived in Mechelen, as the bishops already moved the university to Leuven on 1 December 1835, where it took the name "Catholic University of Leuven". This outraged Belgian liberal opinion, which depicted it as an attempt to usurp the past of the former Old University of Leuven. It also reinvigorated demands for the foundation of a secular university in Brussels which would lead to the foundation of the

Free University of Brussels University of Brussels may refer to several institutions in Brussels, Belgium: Current institutions * Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a French-speaking university established as a separate entity in 1970 *Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a D ...

Previous universities in Leuven

An earlier University of Leuven was founded in 1425 by

John IV, Duke of Brabant John IV, Duke of Brabant (11 June 1403 – 17 April 1427) was the son of Antoine of Burgundy, Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg and his first wife Jeanne of Saint-Pol. He was the second Brabantian ruler from the House of Valois. He is b ...

and chartered by a papal bull of Pope Martin V. It flourished for hundreds of years as the most prominent university in what would become Belgium, and one of the more prominent in Europe. Once formally integrated into the French Republic, the law of 15 September 1793 had decreed the suppression of all the colleges and universities in France and it was abolished by Decree of the Departement of the Dijle on 25 October 1797. The region next became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830), and William I of the Netherlands founded a new university in 1816 in Leuven as a state university ( nl, Rijksuniversiteit) which was a secular university and where several professors from the old university continued their teaching. In 1830, the Southern Provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands became the independent state of Belgium. This university was closed in 1835.

Relation to the Old University of Leuven

With the closing of the

State University of Leuven The State University of Leuven was a university founded in 1817 in Leuven in Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was distinct from the Old University of Leuven (1425-1797) and from the Catholic University of Leuven, wh ...

, the new Catholic University of Mechelen moved its seat to Leuven, adjusted its name and declared itself as a "re-founding" of the 1425 University of Leuven. This claim to continuity with the older institution was challenged in the courts, with Belgium's highest court issuing rulings (in 1844, 1855 and 1861) that as a matter of law the Catholic University of Leuven was a different institution created under a different charter. Nonetheless, the Catholic University of Leuven is very frequently identified as a continuation of the older institution in Leuven, in spite of the liberal protests of the time.

Catholic University (1834–1968)

Souvenir 25 eme anniversaire de la Fondation Université catholique de Louvain novembre 1859

On 3 November 1859, the Catholic University celebrated the silver jubilee of its foundation. A banquet for more than five hundred guests offered by the students to the Rector and the faculty, took place the 23 November 1859 in the great festival hall of the Music Academy of Louvain. In the year 1884 the Catholic University of Louvain celebrated solemnly its 50th anniversary. In 1909, the Catholic University celebrated its 75th anniversary, and struck a medal where for the first time it officially used the French word "réinstallation" (resettlement), and the Dutch word "herstelling" (restoration) beginning of a new "official" history. In 1914, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Leuven was looted by German troops. They set fire to a large part of the city, effectively destroying about half of it, including the university library (see below). In the early stages of the war, Allied propaganda capitalized on the German destruction as a reflection on German ''Kultur''.

Split (1962–1970)

From its beginning in 1834, the Catholic University of Louvain provided lectures only in French. Latin was sometimes used in the theology faculty, but it was essentially a French-language institution. Lectures in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, the other

official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

of Belgium and the language spoken in Leuven, began to be provided in 1930. In 1962, in line with constitutional reforms governing official language use, the French and Dutch sections of the university became autonomous within a common governing structure. Flemish nationalists continued to demand a division of the university, and Dutch speakers expressed resentment at privileges given to French-speaking academic staff and the perceived disdain by the local French-speaking community for their Dutch-speaking neighbours. At the time, Brussels and Leuven were both part of the officially bilingual and now defunct

Province of Brabant The Province of Brabant (, , ) was a province in Belgium from 1830 to 1995. It was created in 1815 as South Brabant, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1995, it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speak ...

; but unlike Brussels, Leuven had retained its Dutch-speaking character. Tensions rose when a French-speaking social geographer suggested in a televised lecture that the city of Leuven should be incorporated into an enlarged bilingual 'Greater-Brussels' region. Mainstream Flemish politicians and students began demonstrating under the slogan ''Leuven Vlaams – Walen Buiten'' ("Leuven sFlemish – Walloons out"). Student demonstrations escalated into violence throughout the mid-1960s. Student unrest fueled by the history of discrimination against Flemings eventually brought down the Belgian government in February 1968. The dispute was resolved in June 1968 by turning the

Dutch-language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. ''Afrikaans'' ...

section of the university into the independent Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, which remained in Leuven. The French-speaking university, called the Université catholique de Louvain, was moved to a greenfield campus called Louvain-la-Neuve ("New Leuven"), farther south in the French-speaking part of the Province of Brabant. Acrimony about the split was long-lasting. Currently, however, research collaborations and student exchanges between the two "sister universities" take place with increasing frequency.

Library

The library of the Catholic University dating from 1834 was housed in the University Hall, a building which in its oldest parts dated back to 1317. This was destroyed in August 1914 by invading German forces, with the loss of approximately 230,000 books, 950 manuscripts, and 800 incunabula. Materials lost included the

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its ne ...

tablet bearing Rongorongo text E and the oldest Czech Bible. After the First World War, a new library was built on the Mgr. Ladeuzeplein, designed by the American architect Whitney Warren in a neo-Flemish-Renaissance style. Construction took place between 1921 and 1928. Its monumental size is a reflection of the Allied victory against

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and it is one of the largest university buildings in the city. The library's collections were rebuilt with donations from all around the world, outraged by the barbaric act which it had suffered. In 1940, during the second German invasion of Leuven, the building largely burnt down, with the loss of 900,000 manuscripts and books. The building was rebuilt after the war in accordance with Warren's design. The library's tower included a 48-bell Gillett and Johnston carillon installed in 1928 and dedicated to the memory of the engineers of the United States who died in all wars. After having fallen into complete disrepair and neglect, efforts began in the early 1980s to restore the carillon. With the cooperation of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and the University, organized efforts to restore the carillon began. The restoration fell to Eijsbouts and the bell count increased to 63. The newly restored carillon was rededicated in October 1983, with a series of lectures, concerts, statements from diplomats including Ronald Reagan, and European carillon keyboard standardization agreements. The library's collections were again restored after the war, and by the time of the split in 1968 had approximately four million books. The separation of the university into distinct French-language and Dutch-language institutions in 1968 entailed a division of the central library holdings. This was done on the basis of alternate shelfmarks (except in cases where a work clearly belonged to one section or the other, e.g. was written by a member of faculty or bequeathed by an alumnus whose linguistic allegiance was clear). This gave rise to the

factoid A factoid is either an invented or assumed statement presented as a fact, ''or'' a true but brief or trivial item of news or information. The term was coined in 1973 by American writer Norman Mailer to mean a piece of information that becomes ac ...

that encyclopedias and runs of periodicals were divided by volume between the two universities, but actually such series bear single shelfmarks. The building on the Mgr. Ladeuzeplein is now the central library of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Notable alumni

Theodor Schwann Theodor Schwann (; 7 December 181011 January 1882) was a German physician and physiologist. His most significant contribution to biology is considered to be the extension of cell theory to animals. Other contributions include the discovery of ...

(1810–1882), German

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and physiologist, developer of

cell theory In biology, cell theory is a scientific theory first formulated in the mid-nineteenth century, that living organisms are made up of cells, that they are the basic structural/organizational unit of all organisms, and that all cells come from pre ...

and discoverer of

Schwann cells Schwann cells or neurolemmocytes (named after German physiologist Theodor Schwann) are the principal glia of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Glial cells function to support neurons and in the PNS, also include satellite cells, olfactory en ...

(professor). * Louis Defré, also known as Maurice Voituron (1816–1880),

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

lawyer and

burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chie ...

Uccle Uccle () or Ukkel () is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). It is generally considered an affluent area of the city an ...

. * Charles-Louis-Joseph-Xavier de la Vallée-Poussin (1827–1903), Belgian geologist and

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proce ...

. *

Auguste Marie François Beernaert Auguste Marie François Beernaert (26 July 1829 – 6 October 1912) was the prime minister of Belgium from October 1884 to March 1894, and the 1909 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Life Born in Ostend in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands 1829, h ...

(1829–1912), Prime Minister of Belgium and winner of the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

1909. *

Patrick Francis Healy Patrick Francis Healy (February 27, 1834January 10, 1910) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who was an influential president of Georgetown University, becoming known as its "second founder". The university's flagship building, Healy ...

(1830–1910), president of

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

, first Jesuit Catholic priest of

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

ancestry, first American of acknowledged African-American ancestry to earn a PhD. * Antanas Baranauskas (1835–1902), Lithuanian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

. * Arthur Vierendeel (1852–1940), Belgian civil engineer. * Emile Joseph Dillon (1854–1933),

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

, author and

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

. *

Albrecht Rodenbach Albertus "Albrecht" Petrus Josephus Mansuetus Ferdinandus Rodenbach (; 27 October 1856 – 23 June 1880) was a Flemish poet, and a leader in the revival of Flemish literature that occurred in the late 19th century. He is more noteworthy as a sy ...

(1856–1880), Flemish poet. * Albin van Hoonacker (1857–1933), Belgian Catholic

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and biblical scholar. *

Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

(1866–1962), Belgian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

who proved the prime number theorem. * Charles Terlinden (1878—1972), Belgian

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

and

papal chamberlain A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

. *

Edgar Sengier Edgar Edouard Bernard Sengier (9 October 1879 – 26 July 1963) was a Belgian mining engineer and director of the Union Minière du Haut Katanga mining company that operated in Belgian Congo during World War II. Sengier is credited with ...

(1879–1963), Belgian mining engineer, director of the

Union Minière du Haut Katanga Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

. *

Frans Van Cauwelaert Frans Van Cauwelaert (10 January 1880 – 17 May 1961), was a Belgian Roman Catholic politician and lawyer. Van Cauwelaert was born at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. He was a member of the Flemish movement, Professor of psychology at the Katholieke Un ...

(1880–1961), Belgian politician. * Jean-Baptiste Janssens, S.J. (1889–1964), Belgian Jesuit Catholic priest, twenty-seventh Superior General of the Society of Jesus. * Weng Wenhao (1889–1971), Chinese geologist and politician, founder of modern Chinese

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

. *

Georges Lemaître Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître ( ; ; 17 July 1894 – 20 June 1966) was a Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain. He was the first to t ...

(1894–1966), Belgian

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

, mathematician and Catholic priest, proposer of the Big Bang theory. *

Fulton J. Sheen Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...

(1895–1979), American archbishop, television evangelist, and writer. * August De Boodt (1895–1986), Belgian politician. * Jerome D'Souza, S.J. (1897–1977),

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n Jesuit Catholic priest, educationist, writer and member of the

Indian Constituent assembly The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to frame the Constitution of India. It was elected by the 'Provincial Assembly'. Following India's independence from the British rule in 1947, its members served as the nation's first Parliament as ...

(1946–1950). *

Albert Claude Albert Claude (; 24 August 1899 – 22 May 1983) was a Belgian-American cell biologist and medical doctor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 with Christian de Duve and George Emil Palade. His elementary education s ...

(1899–1983), Belgian-American

cell biologist Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

and medical doctor, winner of Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974. * Peter McKevitt (1900–1976), Irish Catholic priest, author and sociologist. *

Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (March 8, 1900 – June 9, 1970) was a Costa Rican medical doctor and politician, who served as President from 1940 to 1944. Early life Rafael Angel Calderón Guardia was born on 8 March 1900 in San José. In his ...

(1900–1970), physician, social reformer, President of Costa Rica (1940–1944). *

Alberto Hurtado Alberto Hurtado (; born Luis Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga on January 22, 1901 in Viña del Mar, Chile – August 18, 1952 in Santiago, Chile), popularly known in Chile as Padre Hurtado (Spanish for "Father Hurtado"), was a Chilean Jesuit priest, lawye ...

(1901–1952), Chilean Jesuit Catholic priest, social worker and writer,

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

in 2005. * Victor Delhez (1902–1985), Belgian engraver and artist. * Hendrik Elias (1902–1973), Flemish nationalist and politician,

quisling ''Quisling'' (, ) is a term used in Scandinavian languages and in English meaning a citizen or politician of an occupied country who collaborates with an enemy occupying force – or more generally as a synonym for ''traitor''. The word ori ...

. * Maurice Anthony Biot (1905–1985), Belgian–American

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and founder of the poroelasticity theory. *

Léon Degrelle Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle (; 15 June 1906 – 31 March 1994) was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex). During the German occupatio ...

(1906–1994), Belgian politician and Nazi collaborator, founder of

Rexism The Rexist Party (french: Parti Rexiste), or simply Rex, was a far-right Catholic, nationalist, authoritarian and corporatist political party active in Belgium from 1935 until 1945. The party was founded by a journalist, Léon Degrelle,

. * Jean Charles Snoy et d'Oppuers (1907–1991), Belgian civil servant, diplomat and politician, graduated in law. * Henri, Count of Paris (1908-1999), French

Orléanist Orléanist (french: Orléaniste) was a 19th-century French political label originally used by those who supported a constitutional monarchy expressed by the House of Orléans. Due to the radical political changes that occurred during that cent ...

claimant to the throne of France. * Dominique Pire (1910–1969), Belgian

Dominican friar The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

, winner of the

1958 for helping refugees in

post-World War II The aftermath of World War II was the beginning of a new era started in late 1945 (when World War II ended) for all countries involved, defined by the decline of all colonial empires and simultaneous rise of two superpowers; the Soviet Union (US ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. * Herman Van Breda (1911–1974), Belgian Catholic priest and philosopher, founder of the Husserl Archives. * André Molitor (1911–2005), Belgian civil servant and private secretary of

Baudouin I of Belgium Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his dea ...

, graduated in law. *

Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...

(1912–2011), Austrian politician and writer, heir to the thrones of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. *

Qian Xiuling Qian Xiuling (1912–2008), or Siou-Ling Tsien de Perlinghi, was a Chinese-Belgian scientist who won a medal for saving nearly 100 lives during World War II in Belgium. She had a street named after her and a 16-episode TV drama was made of her ...

(1912–2008), Chinese-Belgian

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

, saved nearly 100 lives during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. *

Tang Yuhan Tang Yuhan, or Hans Tang (; 1913 – 25 May 2014) was a Hong Kong-Chinese oncologist and businessman. He founded the Sino-Belgium Cancer Hospital of Radiation Therapy in Shanghai and served as president of the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Associ ...

(1912–2014), Chinese

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

. * Pieter De Somer (1917–1985), Belgian physician and

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, first

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. *

Christian de Duve Christian René Marie Joseph, Viscount de Duve (2 October 1917 – 4 May 2013) was a Nobel Prize-winning Belgian cytologist and biochemist. He made serendipitous discoveries of two cell organelles, peroxisome and lysosome, for which he shared ...

(1917–2013), Belgian

cytologist Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

and biochemist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974 for his discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...

. * Anton van Wilderode (1919–1998), Flemish activist and writer. * Frans Van Coetsem (1919–2002), Flemish linguist. *

Aster Berkhof Lodewijk Paulina Van Den Bergh (18 June 1920 – 29 September 2020), known as Lode Van Den Bergh, also using the pseudonyms Aster Berkhof and Piet Visser, was a Belgian writer. Early life Van Den Bergh was born in Rijkevorsel on 18 June 1920. H ...

(born 1920), Flemish writer. * Charles Mertens de Wilmars (1921–1994), Belgian psychiatrist, professor at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. * Malachi Martin (1921–1999), Irish Catholic priest,

exorcist In some religions, an exorcist (from the Greek „ἐξορκιστής“) is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or performs the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who are alleged to have possessed a person, ...

palaeographer Palaeography ( UK) or paleography ( US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") is the study of historic writing systems and the deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts, including the analysi ...

, and writer. *

Antoon Vergote Antoine Vergote (8 December 1921 – 10 October 2013), also known as Antoon Vergote, was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher, psychologist and psychoanalyst. He was an Emeritus Professor at the Catholic University of Leuven. Hi ...

, also known as Antoine Vergote (1921–2013), Belgian Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher, psychologist, and psychoanalyst. *

Tomás Ó Fiaich Tomás Séamus Cardinal Ó Fiaich KGCHS (3 November 1923 – 8 May 1990) was an Irish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the Catholic Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh from 1977 until his death. He was created a Cardinal ...

(1923–1990), Irish prelate and archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland. * José J. Fripiat (1923–2014), Belgian scientist and

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...

, 1967 laureate of the Francqui Prize. * Michael Hurley (1923–2011), Irish Jesuit, co-founder of the

Irish School of Ecumenics The Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE) is an institute of Trinity College Dublin, dedicated to the study and promotion of peace and reconciliation in Ireland and throughout the world. The school is located in Dublin and Belfast, and consists of eight ...

. * H. Narayan Murthy (1924–2011), Indian psychologist, philosopher and scholar, known for

Behaviour therapy Behaviour therapy or behavioural psychotherapy is a broad term referring to clinical psychotherapy that uses techniques derived from behaviourism and/or cognitive psychology. It looks at specific, learned behaviours and how the environment, or oth ...

. * Géza Vermes (1924–2013),

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Hungarian-Jewish biblical scholar, an expert on the

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the ...

and the

historical Jesus The term "historical Jesus" refers to the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Jesus by critical historical methods, in contrast to religious interpretations. It also considers the historical and cultural contexts in which Jesus lived. ...

. * Jan Zaprudnik (born 1926), Belarusian–American

and poet. * Adolphe Gesché (1928–2003), Belgian Catholic priest and theologian. *

Gustavo Gutiérrez Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino (born 8 June 1928) is a Peruvian philosopher, Catholic theologian, and Dominican priest, regarded as one of the founders of Latin American liberation theology. He currently holds the John Cardinal O'Hara Professo ...

(born 1928),

Peruvian Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest of Peru, Spanish conquest in th ...

Dominican friar and theologian, founder of the

Liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". I ...

. * Jacques Taminiaux (1928–2019), Belgian philosopher and professor, 1977 laureate of the Francqui Prize. * Camilo Torres (1929–1966), Colombian Catholic priest,

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

and guerillero, member of the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN). *

Jan Vansina Jan Vansina (14 September 1929 – 8 February 2017) was a Belgian historian and anthropologist regarded as an authority on the history of Central Africa, especially of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. He was ...

(1929–2017), Belgian historian of Africa and anthropologist. * Luce Irigaray (born 1930), French philosopher, linguist, psychoanalyst,

psycholinguist Psycholinguistics or psychology of language is the study of the interrelation between linguistic factors and psychological aspects. The discipline is mainly concerned with the mechanisms by which language is processed and represented in the mind ...

cultural theorist Culture theory is the branch of comparative anthropology and semiotics (not to be confused with cultural sociology or cultural studies) that seeks to define the heuristic concept of culture in operational and/or scientific terms. Overview In ...

and feminist. Graduated in 1954. * Marcel Lihau (1931–1999), Congolese constitutionalist and politician, the first Congolese to receive a law degree. *

Father Robert S. Smith Robert S. Smith (February 7, 1932 – July 27, 2010) was an American Catholic priest, author, and educator. His interests ranged from philosophy and theology to the ethics of medical care to interfaith dialogue. Smith's homilies explored the myst ...

(1932–2010), American Catholic priest, author and educator. * Herman Van Den Berghe (born 1933), Belgian

geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processes ...

, founder of the Centrum voor Menselijke Erfelijkheid (Belgian Centre for Human Heredity). * Thomas Kanza (1933–2004), Congolese ambassador to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

, one of the first Congolese university graduates. *

Pierre Laconte Pierre Laconte (born 17 May 1934, Brussels), is a Belgian urbanist. He specialises in urban transport and architectural planning and environmental issues. He has a Doctorate in Law and a Doctorate in Economics from the Catholic University of Lo ...

(born 1934), Belgian

urbanist Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines such as urban planning, which is the profession focusing on the physical design and m ...

. * Abdul Qadeer Khan (born 1936), Pakistani metallurgist considered to be the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. * Jacques van Ypersele de Strihou (born 1936), Belgian politician, Minister of State, former Chief Cabinet of Albert II and Baudouin. * Renato Prada Oropeza (1937–2011), Mexican

semiotician Semiotics (also called semiotic studies) is the systematic study of sign processes (semiosis) and meaning making. Semiosis is any activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, where a sign is defined as anything that communicates something, ...

and writer. * Nguza Karl-i-Bond (1938–2003), notable Zairian politician.Jeffrey M. Elliot and Mervyn M. Dymally, eds., ''Voices of Zaire: Rhetoric or Reality'', p. 53 * Piet Van Waeyenberge (born 1938), Belgian businessman and president of De Warande, graduated in economics. * Robert Sokolowski (born 1939), American Catholic priest and professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America. * Erik De Clercq (born 1941), Belgian

and

. *

Bernard Lietaer Bernard Lietaer (7 February 1942 – 4 February 2019) was a Belgian civil engineer, economist, author, and educator. He studied monetary systems and promoted the idea that communities can benefit from creating their own local or complementary cu ...

(born 1942), Belgian civil engineer, economist and author. * Arthur Ulens (born 1946), Belgian businessman, graduated in chemistry and economics. * Herman Van Rompuy (born 1947), Belgian statesman and Prime Minister of Belgium. Appointed as the first President of the European Council in November 2009. * Bernard Le Grelle (Count) (born 1948), investigative journalist, political adviser, writer, and public affairs executive, known for his long term investigation into the JFK assassination.

References

Bibliography

Text of De Ram's inaugural speech at the opening of the University
(in Latin) * 1834: ''L'Ami de la religion'', 1834, p. 233 * 1837: A. Ferrier, ''Description historique et topographique de Louvain'', Bruxelles, Haumann, Cattoir et Cie, 1837. * 1841: Augustin Theiner, Jean Cohen, '' Histoire des institutions d'éducation ecclésiastique'', 1841, p. 112. * 1850: Maurice Voituron, ''La parti libéral joué par le parti catholique dans la question de l'enseignement supérieur'', Bruxelles, 1850, p. 16. * 1860: Edward Van Even, ''Louvain monumental''..., Louvain, C.-J. Fonteyn, 1860. * 1864: ''Correspondance du R. P. Lacordaire et de Madame Swetchine'', 1864, p. 26. * 1864: ''Journal des économistes'', Société d'économie politique of Paris, Société de statistique de Paris, 1864, p. 13. * 1864: Louis Hymans, ''Histoire populaire du règne de Léopold Ier, roi des Belges'', 1864, p. 154. * 1866: Adolphe Quetelet, ''Sciences Mathématiques et Physiques chez les Belges au commencement du XIXe'', 1866, p. 534. * 1875: ''Patria Belgica'', encyclopédie nationale, 1875, p. 140. * 1881:'' Analectes pour servir à l'histoire ecclésiastique de la Belgique'', Volume 17, 1881, p. 236. * 1885: Edmond Henri Joseph Reusens, ''Documents relatifs à l'histoire de l'Université de Louvain (1425–1797)'', 1885, p. 228 * 1930: Georges Weill, ''L'éveil des nationalités: et le mouvement libéral (1815–1848)'', 1930, p. 181. * 1952: Marcel Dessal, ''Charles Delescluze, 1809–1871: un révolutionnaire jacobin'', 1952, p. 30. * 1958: ''Mémoires de la Société royale des sciences de Liège'', 1958, p. 89. * 1967: ''L'esprit laïque en Belgique sous le gouvernement libéral doctrinaire, 1857'', 1967, p. 665. * 1974: Ruth L. White, ''L'Avenir de La Mennais: son rôle dans la presse de son temps'', 1974, p. 173. * 1975: Aloïs Simon, Gaston Braive, Jacques Lory, ''Mélanges dédiés à la mémoire de Mgr Aloïs Simon'', 1975, p. 145. * 1977: Jean Préaux, ''Église et enseignement'', 1977, p. 177. * 1980: Carlo Bronne, ''Léopold Ier et son temps'', Bruxelles, éd. Paul Legrain, 1980, p. 154. * 1981: John Bartier, Guy Cambier, ''Libéralisme et socialisme au XIXe siècle'', 1981, p. 17. * 1998: Astrid von Busekist, ''La Belgique: politique des langues et construction de l'Etat de 1780 à nos jours'', 1998, p. 87. * 1999: Véronique Laureys, ''L'histoire du sénat de Belgique de 1831 à 1995'', 1999, p. 71. * 2006: Jacqueline Aubenas, Suzanne Van Rokeghem, Jeanne Vercheval-Vervoort, ''Des femmes dans l'histoire de Belgique'', depuis 1830, 2006, p. 14.