# Who is the most famous non-fictional Belgian? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986 "2014-10-10T18:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/61 "2014-10-11T18:09:17Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > Belgian TV viewers voted in 2005 on the Greatest Belgians: > > [Les plus grands Belges - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_plus_grands_Belges) > > There was a separate poll for viewers of the Dutch language channel, with different results: > > [De Grootste Belg - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Grootste_Belg) At least Brel (and Father Damien) made both lists! I didn’t know Mercator was Flemish. He’s got to be on a list of most influential people from the area that would be known as Belgium, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/62 "2014-10-11T20:41:29Z")
The first four people I thought of before looking at the options not listed in the poll: 1. Father Damien 2. Georges Simenon 3. King Leopold II 4. King Baudouin 5. Magritte is the first I thought of who is an option 6. [Django Reinhardt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt), born there but lived mostly in France I think JCVD didn’t occur to me until I saw his name in the poll options, but he is more famous than most of the people I did think of. And those seven are pretty much the limit of my knowledge of Belgian people. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/63 "2014-10-11T20:48:20Z")
JCVD for sure. Before opening the thread, Hergé was the first famous Belgian I thought of. I assumed Magritte was French or maybe Swiss. Fr. Damien was my second thought although not famous enough. Jacques Brel and Plastic Bertrand are more famous for their songs as covered by others (or for “that woo-oo-oo-oo song”) than them as artists, I think ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/64 "2014-10-11T21:30:17Z")
Okay, I’m weird. The first “real Belgian” name that came to mind for me was Jean “Black Jack” Schramme. I’ve heard more than once that if Belgium were just divided among its three neighbors, no one much would notice it was gone. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/65 "2014-10-11T21:42:20Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Okay, I’m weird. The first “real Belgian” name that came to mind for me was Jean “Black Jack” Schramme. > > I’ve heard more than once that if Belgium were just divided among its three neighbors, no one much would notice it was gone. Well, 3 countries would suddenly find themselves in possession of much better beer. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/66 "2014-10-13T05:15:07Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Without looking at the other answers: Eden Hazard. That was my thought, though Fellaini’s 'fro makes him a tad more noticeable from a distance. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/67 "2014-10-13T11:14:39Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I’ve heard more than once that if Belgium were just divided among its **three** neighbors, no one much would notice it was gone. In point of fact, it has four. If the above-suggested deed were to be done on a “four” basis, presumably Luxembourg would suddenly become a good deal bigger… ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/68 "2014-10-13T12:54:30Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Jacques Brel and Plastic Bertrand are more famous for their songs as covered by others (or for “that woo-oo-oo-oo song”) than them as artists, I think In the English-speaking world, it’s very likely. In the French-speaking world, while **Plastic Bertrand** has gone back to obscurity in the past 10-15 years, **Jacques Brel** is still considered one of the major 20th-century singer-songwriters. Stromae has been compared to him, much to the younger artist’s embarassment (“It’s way too early to say such a thing”). If Brel had been on the list, he would have been my choice. Or perhaps **César Franck** (naturalized French but born Belgian). Hergé (_Tintin_) and Peyo (_The Smurfs_) have been mentioned but as far as I’m concerned, the best Belgian cartoonist is **André Franquin**. I grew up reading and re-reading _Gaston_, the laziest and most accident-prone office junior in the world. I still love it by the way: ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaston\_%28comics%29](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaston_%28comics%29)) [http://www.tuxboard.com/photos/2014/02/Gaston-Lagaffe-planche.jpg](http://www.tuxboard.com/photos/2014/02/Gaston-Lagaffe-planche.jpg) [http://www.bedetheque.com/media/Planches/PlancheA\_2818.jpg](http://www.bedetheque.com/media/Planches/PlancheA_2818.jpg) [http://www.gzahab.fr/livre\_bd/bd/planchbd/gaston15.jpg](http://www.gzahab.fr/livre_bd/bd/planchbd/gaston15.jpg) [http://www.bedetheque.com/media/Planches/GastonP.jpg](http://www.bedetheque.com/media/Planches/GastonP.jpg) Funny how many people mentioned **King Leopold II**. In Belgium, he’s one of those early kings that no one remembers. **King Baudoin** is much more likely to be mentioned by people over 25. Since the Flemish painters and the composers of the Franco-Flemish School are out, I’d have to vote for **Jean Claude van Damme** in the list, unfortunately (my heart says **Magritte** but realistically…). ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986/69 "2014-10-13T18:52:17Z")
Looks like I have declare the Muscles from Brussels the winner, much as it pains me. At least I win the bet, with van Rompuy acquiring 0 votes! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-famous-non-fictional-belgian/700986.md?page=3)