author
Léon van der Essen
1883–1963
A leading Belgian historian of the early 20th century, he wrote widely on Belgium's past and became known beyond academia for speaking about the German occupation of Belgium at the Nuremberg trials. His work connects scholarly research with some of Europe's most turbulent modern history.
1 Audiobook
A short history of Belgium
by Léon van der Essen
About the author
Born in Antwerp on December 12, 1883, Léon van der Essen became a Belgian historian and professor at the Catholic University of Leuven. He built his reputation through research and teaching focused on Belgian history, and he later also served as secretary-general of the university.
His career was shaped by the upheavals of the First and Second World Wars as well as by long debates about Belgian identity and history. That larger public role became especially clear in 1946, when he testified at the Nuremberg trials about the German occupation of Belgium; he is often noted as the only Belgian witness called there.
Van der Essen died in Leuven on February 10, 1963. He is remembered as a scholar who helped interpret Belgium's medieval and modern past for both students and general readers, while also standing close to some of the defining events of 20th-century Europe.