Herman Vanderpoorten (ˈɦɛr.mɑn vɐn.dɛr.ˈpoːr.tə(n)) (Lier

Lier, Belgium

Lier is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. On January 1, 2010 Lier had a total population of 33,930. The total area is 49.70 km² which gives a population density of 669 inhabitants per...

 25 August 1922 – 3 September 1984) was a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 liberal politician. He was a son of the politician Arthur Vanderpoorten

Arthur Vanderpoorten

Arthur Pieter Frans Vanderpoorten was a Belgian liberal politician and minister. Vanderpoorten was the father of the later minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the grandfather of the later ministers Patrick Dewael and Marleen Vanderpoorten.-Career:Vanderpoorten was executive-director of a company...

, the father of Marleen Vanderpoorten

Marleen Vanderpoorten

Marleen Caroline Valère Vanderpoorten is a Flemish politician and member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . She is a daughter of Herman Vanderpoorten and a granddaughter of Arthur Vanderpoorten...

 and an uncle of Patrick Dewael

Patrick Dewael

Patrick Yvonne Hugo Dewael, in Lier, Belgium is a liberal Belgian politician. He is a member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, or Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten . He is the nephew of the late liberal minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the cousin of Marleen Vanderpoorten, who also served as...

.

Education

He obtained a law degree at the University of Ghent and got acquainted with, among others, Frans Grootjans

Frans Grootjans

Frans Edward Elisabeth Grootjans , was a Belgian politician and minister for the PVV.Grootjans was born at Wilrijk. He became a licentiate in the trade and consular sciences and was chief editor and director of the newspaper De Nieuwe Gazet...

, Albert Maertens and Karel Poma

Karel Poma

Karel Emiel Hubert, Baron Poma is a Belgian liberal and politician for the PVV. He is a son of Carolus Poma, who was a lieutenant of the Antwerp fire brigade, and subsequently council member and mayor of the town Wilrijk. He is married to Juliana Walgraeve, and together they have two children; a...

Career

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 he followed his father's footsteps, who had died in the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen

Bergen-Belsen concentration camp

Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...

. From 1949 up to 1958 he was province council member in Antwerp. In 1961, he became a member of parliament and in 1965, he changed to the senate where he remained until his death. Vanderpoorten led several ministries during his political career. For the PVV-PLP

Party for Freedom and Progress

The Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...

, he was minister of internal affairs in the government Paul Vanden Boeynants

Paul Vanden Boeynants

Paul Emile François Henri Vanden Boeynants was a Belgian politician. He served as the 41st Prime Minister of Belgium for two brief periods ....

-Willy De Clercq

Willy De Clercq

Willy Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq was a Belgian liberal politician.De Clercq was born in Ghent...

 (1966–1968), minister of justice in the government Edmond Leburton

Edmond Leburton

Edmond Jules Isidore Leburton was a Belgian politician and former Prime Minister.Leburton served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Belgium from January 1973 to April 1974. He is the last native French speaker to hold that office, disregarding the bilingual Paul Vanden Boeynants from Brussels. He was a...

 (1973–1974), in the government Leo Tindemans-II (1974–1977) and in the government Wilfried Martens

Wilfried Martens

Wilfried Martens is a Belgian politician. He was born in Sleidinge . Martens was the 44th Prime Minister of Belgium from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992....

-III (1980) and in addition vice-prime minister and minister for institutional reforms in that same government. In 1979, he took part in the first direct European elections and was member of the European parliament

European Parliament

The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

 in Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

 up to 1980. In 1983, he was appointed by the king as Minister of State

Minister of State

Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...

. He was burgomaster

Burgomaster

Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...

 of Lier (1982–1984). He was president of the Liberaal Vlaams Verbond

Liberaal Vlaams Verbond

The Liberaal Vlaams Verbond was founded in 1913. From its origin it wanted to promote the Flemish cause and drew attention to social matters, within the Belgian Liberal Party...

 (1957–1966, 1969–1973).

Source

• Wouters, Nico, Vanderpoorten Herman, in Nieuwe Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging, Tielt, Lannoo, 1998, dl. 3, pp. 3159–3160
• Herman Vanderpoorten