Charles de Brouckère

Charles de Brouckère (6 October 1757 – 29 April 1850) was a Belgian, Flemish politician who was a lawyer, high official and statesman during the Austrian rule, under the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and later in the Kingdom of Belgium. He became a nobleman after being knighted by King Willem I on 13 September 1817 in Laeken.

Personal life Charles (Carolus) de Brouckère was born in Torhout on 6 October 1757 to Johannes Baptiste de Brouckere (1716-1794) and Marie Claire de la Croix (1727-1763). He went on to study law at the University of Leuven and moved to Bruges to practice law following his graduation. De Brouckère married Charlotte-Marie-Anne-Colette de Stoop (1767–1846) in Bruges on 2 July 1793. Following the invasion of the Allied Armies of the Sixth Coalition in January 1814, de Brouckère was appointed Commissioner General on Home Affairs on 15 February by the Provisional Government of Belgium. For this role, de Brouckère moved to Maastricht as it served as the capitol of the Limburg province which consisted of the combined territory of the modern provinces of Belgian Limburg and Dutch Limburg. While serving as governor, de Brouckère was made a nobleman by being knighted by King Willem I on 13 September 1817 in Laeken. De Brouckère was elected to the First Chamber and served in that position from 21 October 1828 until 18 October 1830.

Later Life & Death Following the Belgian Revolution, which saw Belgium become an independent nation in 1831, de Brouckère retired from politics before he started practicing law again in Bruges in 1841. De Brouckère died in Bruges on 29 April 1850, aged 92.