We already have a thread about the greatest German ever and one about the greatest French ever. I suggest we start one about Belgium. It will be more fun as usually people tend to ask "Who the hell is famous from Belgium ?". Here is a list I made to answer that question. Now let's vote for the one you think is the greatest of them.
In terms of political impact on history and today's world, I would have to say Charlemagne (a true Walloon from Liege, like his father and grandfather). Charlemagne founded the longest lasting empire Europe has ever known, the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted over 1000 years (twice more than the Roman Empire from which it was inspired). Charlemagne unified what is now the Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland Austria, Northern Italy and Catalonia. This area is roughly the same as the original 6 members of the European Union (Benelux, France, Germany and Italy), and the name of Charlemagne is in fact used in connection to the EU (e.g. as the EU section of the magazine The Economist, or as a nickname for the EU Commission, which address in Brussels is Boulevard Charlemagne).
In terms of heritage left to Belgium, it is definitely Leopold II, who built more monuments than anybody else. However he can't be great as he was responsible for one of the biggest genocide commited by a single man in history.
It's hard to choose a painter from the list. Rubens is maybe the most internationally famous.
Nevertheless, Hergé is regarded as the father of Belgian comics, and his Tintin became a true symbol of Belgium, known and appreciated all over the world. So he would make a better choice than Rubens.
I think that one of the Belgian who had the greatest impact on today's world (without knowing it at the time), and yet is not so famous even in Belgium, is Pierre Minuit, the guy who purchased Manhattan from the Amerindians and founded what later became the greatest, richest and most cosmopolitan city in the world : New York.
In terms of political impact on history and today's world, I would have to say Charlemagne (a true Walloon from Liege, like his father and grandfather). Charlemagne founded the longest lasting empire Europe has ever known, the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted over 1000 years (twice more than the Roman Empire from which it was inspired). Charlemagne unified what is now the Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland Austria, Northern Italy and Catalonia. This area is roughly the same as the original 6 members of the European Union (Benelux, France, Germany and Italy), and the name of Charlemagne is in fact used in connection to the EU (e.g. as the EU section of the magazine The Economist, or as a nickname for the EU Commission, which address in Brussels is Boulevard Charlemagne).
In terms of heritage left to Belgium, it is definitely Leopold II, who built more monuments than anybody else. However he can't be great as he was responsible for one of the biggest genocide commited by a single man in history.
It's hard to choose a painter from the list. Rubens is maybe the most internationally famous.
Nevertheless, Hergé is regarded as the father of Belgian comics, and his Tintin became a true symbol of Belgium, known and appreciated all over the world. So he would make a better choice than Rubens.
I think that one of the Belgian who had the greatest impact on today's world (without knowing it at the time), and yet is not so famous even in Belgium, is Pierre Minuit, the guy who purchased Manhattan from the Amerindians and founded what later became the greatest, richest and most cosmopolitan city in the world : New York.