De Grootste Belg
Encyclopedia
De Grootste Belg was a 2005 vote conducted by Belgian public TV broadcaster Canvas, public radio broadcaster Radio 1
, and newspaper De Standaard
, to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time. It could be considered as a Flemish
list, considering that Walloon broadcast RTBF
also held a vote, Le plus grand Belge
.
Nominees needed to have lived between 50 BC and now, between the borders of present day Belgium. This is because Belgium only gained its independence in 1830, while numerous historical individuals from, for example, the Spanish Netherlands, are considered to be "Belgians".
An initial list of 111 names (100 decided by a panel, 11 added by the public after a preliminary poll) was set online. People could vote for their favourites to reduce the longlist to a shortlist of ten. After the first television show, the final list of ten nominees was announced. Two of them, Ambiorix and Conscience, came out of the 11 names chosen by the public instead of the 100 chosen by the panel. The ten finalists were each presented on Canvas with a documentary, their nomination defended by famous Flemish people.
On 1 December 2005, Pater Damiaan was announced as the winner of the "De Grootste Belg" poll, beating Paul Janssen and Eddy Merckx.
Radio 1 (Belgium)
Radio 1 is a Belgian radio channel operated by the Flemish public broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep .-External links:* *...
, and newspaper De Standaard
De Standaard
De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen...
, to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time. It could be considered as a Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
list, considering that Walloon broadcast RTBF
RTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
also held a vote, Le plus grand Belge
Le plus grand Belge
Le plus grand Belge , was a television show on the Belgian French-speaking public channel RTBF. In the program the audience could vote for the greatest Belgian by using the website, sending an SMS or using the telephone...
.
Nominees needed to have lived between 50 BC and now, between the borders of present day Belgium. This is because Belgium only gained its independence in 1830, while numerous historical individuals from, for example, the Spanish Netherlands, are considered to be "Belgians".
An initial list of 111 names (100 decided by a panel, 11 added by the public after a preliminary poll) was set online. People could vote for their favourites to reduce the longlist to a shortlist of ten. After the first television show, the final list of ten nominees was announced. Two of them, Ambiorix and Conscience, came out of the 11 names chosen by the public instead of the 100 chosen by the panel. The ten finalists were each presented on Canvas with a documentary, their nomination defended by famous Flemish people.
On 1 December 2005, Pater Damiaan was announced as the winner of the "De Grootste Belg" poll, beating Paul Janssen and Eddy Merckx.
Top 10
- Father DamienFather DamienFather Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
(1840–1889), priest and humanitarian: nomination defended by lawyer Jef Vermassen - Paul JanssenPaul JanssenPaul Adriaan Jan, Baron Janssen was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, a pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 employees. In 2005 he finished as runner up, after Father Damien, in the poll for The Greatest Belgian organized by the regional Flemish television...
(1926–2003), physician: nomination defended by television presenter Frieda Van Wijck - Eddy MerckxEddy MerckxEdouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
(1945–), cyclist: nomination defended by sports journalist and television presenter Mark UytterhoevenMark UytterhoevenMark Uytterhoeven is a Belgian television presenter and actor.Uytterhoeven appeared in the Belgian Dutch language comedy TV series Alles Kan Beter in which he presented between late 1997 and 1999.... - AmbiorixAmbiorixAmbiorix was, together with Catuvolcus, prince of the Eburones, leader of a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul , where modern Belgium is located...
(1st century BC), Gaulish chieftain: nomination defended by comedian and writer Patrick de Witte - Adolf DaensAdolf DaensAdolf Daens was a Flemish priest from Aalst. Daens was a Jesuit from 1859 to 1871 but is especially known for his socio-political involvement after he joined the diocesan clergy. He created the Daensist movement from which originated in 1893 the Christene Volkspartij inspired by Leo XIII's...
(1839–1907), priest, activist and humanitarian: nomination defended by minister Inge VervotteInge VervotteInge Vervotte is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party . She was Belgian federal minister for Civil Service and Public Enterprises in the Leterme I Government, which was in office in 2008 from 20 March to 30 December.Born in Bonheiden, she graduated in 1998 at the... - Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), physician and creator of modern anatomyAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
: nomination defended by professor Robrecht Van Hee - Jacques BrelJacques BrelJacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
(1929–1978), singer: nomination defended by singer Johan VerminnenJohan VerminnenJohan Verminnen is a Flemish singer.-Discography:*2005 Hartklop*2003 Tegenlicht *2001 Swingen tot Morgenvroeg*1999 Vroeger en Later*1999 Het beste van Johan Verminnen... - Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercatorthumb|right|200px|Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercator was a cartographer, born in Rupelmonde in the Hapsburg County of Flanders, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He is remembered for the Mercator projection world map, which is named after him...
(1512–1594), cartographer: nomination defended by biologist Dirk Draulans - Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), painter: nomination defended by comics artist Herr Seele
- Hendrik ConscienceHendrik ConscienceHenri "Hendrik" Conscience was a Belgian writer. He was a pioneer in writing in Dutch after the secession from the Netherlands in 1830 left Belgium a mostly French speaking country....
(1812–1883), author of the Flemish nationalistic novel The Lion of FlandersDe Leeuw van Vlaanderen (book)De Leeuw van Vlaanderen is a historical book written by the Flemish writer Hendrik Conscience in 1838. The book tells the story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302...
: nomination defended by journalist and historian Marc Reynebeau