List of people from Ghent

This is a list of notable people from Ghent, who were either born in Ghent, or spent part of their life there.

People born in Ghent

Self-portrait by Emma De Vigne

Before the 19th century

John of Gaunt

Daniel Heinsius

Maurice Maeterlinck

• Henry of Ghent, scholastic philosopher (c. 1217 – 1293)
• Jacob van Artevelde, statesman and political leader (c. 1290 – 1345)
• Franz Ackerman, statesman (c. 1330 – 1387)
• Philip van Artevelde, Flemish patriot (c. 1340 – 1382)
• John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340–1399)
• Hugo van der Goes, painter (c. 1440 – 1482)
• Alexander Agricola, composer of the Renaissance (1445/6 - 1506)
• Jacob Obrecht, composer of the Renaissance (c. 1457 – 1505)
• Jacques Buus, Franco-Flemish composer and organist of the Renaissance (c. 1500 – 1565)
• Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (‘’Charles Quint’’, 1500–1558)
• Cornelius Canis, Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, music director for Charles V in the 1540–1550s
• Jan Utenhove, writer (c. 1520 – 1566)
• Lieven de Key, architect (1560–1627)
• Philippe van Lansberg, astronomer (1561–1632)
• Daniel Heinsius, scholar of the Dutch Renaissance (1580–1655)
• Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of London), flutist, oboist, and harpsichordist (1680–1730)
• Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (of Ghent), composer (1688 – c. 1720)
• Josse Boutmy, organist and harpsichordist (1697–1779)
• Peter Anton von Verschaffelt, sculptor and architect (1710–1793)
• Lieven Bauwens, industrial (1769–1822)

19th century

• Josse Joseph de Lehaye, politician, (1800–1888)
• Henri Colson, burgomaster of Ghent (1819-1900)
• Eugène Van Bemmel, author and educator (1824–1880)
• Frans de Potter, writer, (1834–1904)
• Charles John Seghers, Jesuit clergyman and missionary (1839–1886)
• Paul de Vigne, sculptor (1843–1901)
• De Vriendt brothers, painters (second half of 19th century)
• Pierre De Geyter, socialist, composer, and wood carver (1848–1932)
• Victor Horta, Art Nouveau architect (1861–1947)
• Henri Lammens, Jesuit and orientalist (1862–1937)
• Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, playwright, essayist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1862–1949)
• Théo van Rysselberghe, neo-impressionist painter 1862–1926)
• Constant Montald, monumental and symbolic painter 1862-1944
• Brice Meuleman, Jesuit, 2nd Archbishop of Calcutta (now Kolkata) (1862–1924)
• Leo Baekeland, chemist and inventor of Bakelite (1863–1944)
• Pierre Louÿs, poet and romantic writer (1870–1925)
• Karel van de Woestijne, writer (1878–1929)
• George Van Biesbroeck, astronomer (1880–1974)
• Gustave Van de Woestijne, painter (1881–1947)
• Frits Van den Berghe, expressionist painter (1883–1939)
• George Sarton, historian of science (1884–1956)
• Désiré Defauw, conductor and violinist (1885–1960)
• Jean Ray, writer (1887–1964)
• Richard Minne, writer and poet (1891–1965)
• Corneille Jean François Heymans, physiologist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1892–1968)
• Edgard Colle, chess master (1897–1932)
• Henri Story, politician (1897–1944)
• Emma De Vigne, painter (1850-98)

20th century

• Suzanne Lilar, playwright, essayist and novelist (1901–1992)
• Jozef Vergote, Egyptologist and coptologist (1910–1992)
• Johan Daisne, author, poet, and librarian (1912–1978)
• Théo Lefèvre, lawyer and prime minister of Belgium (1914–1973)
• Armand Pien, weatherman (1920–2003)
• Marc Sleen, comics artist and cartoonist (born 1922)
• Willy De Clercq, politician (born 1927)
• Marcel Storme, lawyer and professor at the Ghent University (born 1930)
• Jean-Marie Albert Bottequin, photographer and journalist (born 1941)
• Graba' (Ignace De Graeve), designer and artist (1940-2016)
• Jacques Rogge, former president of the IOC (born 1942)
• Gérard Mortier, musical artistic director (born 1943)
• René Jacobs, counter-tenor and conductor (born 1946)
• Philippe Herreweghe, conductor (born 1947)
• Marc Mortier, first CEO of Flanders Expo (1948–2004)
• Godfried-Willem Raes, composer, performer, and instrument maker (born 1952)
• Matthias Storme, lawyer, academic, thinker, and politician (born 1959)
• Dirk Brossé, composer, conductor
• Frank De Winne, cosmonaut (born 1961)
• Saul Akkemay (Panbello), freelance publicist and columnist (born 1964)
• Nic Balthazar, movie critic and film director (born 1964)
• Michel de Kemmeter, entrepreneur and author in the fields of Personal development and Intangible assets and Human Sustainable Development (born 1964)
• Helmut Lotti, musician (born 1969)
• Filip Meirhaeghe, cyclist (born 1971)
• Matthew Gilmore, cyclist (born 1972)
• Freya Van den Bossche, socialist politician (born 1975)
• Cédric Van Branteghem, athlete (born 1979)
• Bradley Wiggins, British cyclist (born 1980)
• Jonas Geirnaert, creator of animation shorts (born 1982)
• Iljo Keisse, cyclist (born 1982)
• Eline Berings, athlete (born 1986)
• Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, football player (born 1989)
• Kevin De Bruyne, professional footballer (born 1991)
• Gijs van Hoecke, cyclist (born 1991)
• Gaelle Mys, Olympic gymnast (born 1991)
• Xavier Henry, shooting guard/small forward for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers (born 1995)

Lived in Ghent

Before the 19th century

Mary of Burgundy

Jodocus Hondius

• Saint Amand, Roman Catholic saint (584–675)
• Saint Bavo, patron saint of Ghent (589–654)
• Jan Boeksent, Franciscan Sculptor.
• Hubert van Eyck, painter (c. 1366 – 1426)
• Jan van Eyck, painter (c. 1385 – 1441)
• Joos van Wassenhove, painter (c. 1410 – c. 1480)
• Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy married in Ghent in 1477
• William Damasus Lindanus, Bishop of Ghent (1525–1588)
• Jodocus Hondius, artist, engraver, and cartographer (1563–1612)
• Tobie Matthew, English Catholic priest (1577–1655)
• Caspar de Crayer, painter (1582–1669)
• David t'Kindt, architect (1699-1770)
• Jan Frans Willems, writer (1793–1846)
• Jacques-Joseph Haus, criminal law and natural rights professor at Ghent University (1796–1881)

19th century

• Joseph Plateau, physicist, taught at the Ghent University (1801–1883)
• Louis XVIII of France was exiled in Ghent during the Hundred Days in 1815
• François-Auguste Gevaert, composer (1828–1908)
• Rosalie Loveling, poet, novelist, and essayist (1834–1875)
• Virginie Loveling, poet, novelist, and essayist (1836–1923)
• Frans Rens, writer, (1805–1874)

20th century

• Erwin Schrödinger, physicist (1877-1961)
• Paul van Imschoot, Roman Catholic biblical theologian (1889-1968)
• Arend Joan Rutgers, physical chemist and professors at the Ghent University (1903–1998)
• Jean Daskalidès, gynecologist and director of Leonidas chocolates (1922–1992)
• Hugo Claus, author, poet, dramatist, film and stage director (1929–2008)
• Jan Hoet, founder of SMAK (‘’Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst’’) (born 1936)
• Wilfried Martens, Christian Democratic politician and prime minister (born 1936)
• Royden Rabinowitch, Canadian sculptor (born 1943)
• Patrick Sercu, Belgian track cyclist (born 1944)
• Guy Verhofstadt, liberal politician and prime minister (born 1953)
• Johan Vande Lanotte, lawyer and politician (born 1955)
• Herman Brusselmans, novelist and poet (born 1957)
• Leen Ryckaert, psychologist (born 1957)
• Dirk Braeckman, photographer (born 1958)
• Tom Lanoye, novelist and poet (born 1958)
• Peter Vermeersch, composer, clarinet player, and producer (born 1959)
• Michaël Borremans, painter (born 1963)
• Lucas de Lil, composer and conductor (born 1963)
• Erwin Mortier, author and poet (born 1965)
• Bianka Panova, rhythmic gymnast (born 1970)
• Jun Song, winner of Big Brother 4 (born 1975)
• Lorenz Bogaert, entrepreneur (born 1976)
• Gabriel Ríos, Puerto Rican musician (born 1978)
• Tyler Farrar, American cyclist (born 1984)