Marcel van Grunsven

Marcellus Franciscus Gerardus Maria "Marcel" van Grunsven (4 December 1896, Gennep - 24 July 1969, Heerlen) was mayor of Heerlen from 1926 to 1961. He led Heerlen through the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the booming mining years. He didn’t fear personal sacrifice, like salary cuts. Imminently after his installment he turned Heerlen politics around, also eliminating the cities debt.

Van Grunsven in 1938.

Grave of Marcel van Grunsven and his wife in Heerlen.

Together with city planners and architects, for instance Frits Peutz, he bettered the infrastructure of Heerlen, trying to fix social-economical problems. He was also a lover of arts and culture stimulating it in the city. He was made honorary citizen of Heerlen and the culture price of Heerlen is named after him (Van Grunsvenprijs).