Rogier, Charles |
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BORN 17 Aug 1800, Saint-Quentin, Aisne - DIED 27 May 1885, Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode, Brussel BIRTH NAME Rogier, Charles Latour GRAVE LOCATION Brussel: Cimetière de Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Rue Henri Chomé 9, Schaerbeek |
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Charles Rogier is regarded as one of the founders of the Belgian state. He was the son of the French officer and cloth merchant Firmin Rogier and Henriette Estienne. His gather was killed during the campaigns in Russia and he lived with his mother in Liège. There he studied law and graduated in 1826. For several years he had been working as a private tutor but after his graduation he entered the Bar of Liège. When the first riots took place in Brussels in 1830 he travelled to Brussels with 300 citizens from Liège and he occupied the town hall. From September 1830 to February 1831 he was a member of the Provisional Government. In 1833 he quarrelled with Alexandre Gendebien. they fought a duel in the Sonian forest during which he was shot through his cheek. He lost two teeth but he was soon back at work. He held several other official functions, but between 1831 and 1885 he was several times a member of the Chamber of Representatives. From 1832 to 1834 he was minister of the interior and from 1840 to 1841 minister of public works. From 1847 to 1852 he was both prime minister and minister of the interior. In 1848 he expelled Karl Marx from Belgium. After Napoleon III came to power in France Rogier succesfully guarded the Belgian independence. In 1857 he returned as prime minister. After politial tensions with Walthère Frère-Orban he resigned in 1868 and this effectively ended his political career. |
| Images | |
 The grave of Charles Rogier at the St. Josse Cemetery, Brussels. Picture by Androom (29 Apr 2007) |
 The grave of Charles Rogier at the St. Josse Cemetery, Brussels. Picture by Androom (29 Apr 2007) |
Sources • Charles Rogier - Wikipedia |
