Minister of the Colonies (Belgium) explained

Post:Minister
Body:the Colonies
Native Name:
Member Of:the Council of Ministers
Seat:Hôtels de Coudenberg
Nominator:the Prime Minister
Appointer:the Monarch
Formation:30 October 1908
First:Jules Renkin
Last:Harold Charles d'Aspremont Lynden
Abolished:27 March 1961

The Belgian Minister of the Colonies (French: Ministre des Colonies, Dutch; Flemish: Minister van Koloniën) was a Belgian parliamentarian who was responsible for the territories of the colonial empire in Central Africa from 1908 to 1962, comprising the colony of the Belgian Congo (1908–60) and the international mandate of Ruanda-Urundi (1916–62). The exact title was changed on several occasions.

Ministerial title

For most of the existence of the post, office holders were known as "Minister of the Colonies" (Ministre des Colonies or Minister van Koloniën). From the accession of in November 1958, however, the ministerial title changed to "Minister of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi" (Ministre du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi or Minister van Belgisch-Congo en Ruanda-Urundi). On 30 June 1960, with the independence of the Belgian Congo, the title changed to "Minister of African Affairs" (Ministre des affaires africaines or Minister van afrikaanse zaken) whose only office holders were August de Schryver and Harold Charles d'Aspremont Lynden.

In addition to official colonial ministers, two individuals served as ministers without portfolio with a colonial brief between 1959 and 1960. Raymond Scheyven was "Minister without portfolio, charged with the economic and financial affairs of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi" while Walter Ganshof van der Meersch was "Minister without portfolio, charged with general affairs in Africa".

List of ministers

The following is a list of ministers, cited by historian Guy Vanthemsche in his book Belgium and the Congo, 1885-1980:

Political parties
Christian Democrat, later:
  • Liberal
  • Socialist
  • PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyPrime MinisterMonarch
    (Reign)
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    Jules Renkin30 October 190821 November 1918Catholic PartyFrans Schollaert
    Charles de Broqueville
    Gérard Cooreman
    Albert I

    (1909–34)
    Louis Franck21 November 191811 March 1924Liberal PartyLéon Delacroix
    Henri Carton de Wiart
    Georges Theunis
    Henri Carton de Tournai11 March 192420 May 1926Catholic PartyGeorges Theunis
    Aloys Van de Vyvere
    Prosper Poullet
    Maurice Houtart
    (First term)
    20 May 192615 November 1926Catholic PartyHenri Jaspar
    Édouard Pecher16 November 192627 December 1926Liberal PartyHenri Jaspar
    Maurice Houtart
    (Second term)
    29 December 192618 January 1927Catholic PartyHenri Jaspar
    Henri Jaspar
    (First term)
    18 January 192719 October 1929Catholic PartyOwn government

    (First term)
    19 October 192924 December 1929Catholic PartyHenri Jaspar
    Henri Jaspar
    (Second term)
    27 February 193018 June 1931Catholic PartyOwn government
    18 May 193116 August 1931Extra-Parliamentary
    (Catholic)
    Henri Jaspar
    Jules Renkin
    6 June 193125 May 1932Catholic PartyJules Renkin
    Paul Tschoffen
    (Second term)
    23 May 193213 November 1934Catholic PartyJules Renkin
    Charles de Broqueville
    Paul Charles
    (Second term)
    20 November 193425 March 1935Extra-Parliamentary
    (Catholic)
    Georges Theunis
    25 March 193527 April 1938Catholic PartyPaul van Zeeland
    Paul-Émile Janson
    Leopold III

    (1934–44)
    Albert De Vleeschauwer
    (First term)
    15 May 193822 February 1939Catholic PartyPaul-Henri Spaak
    21 February 193916 April 1939Extra-Parliamentary
    (Catholic)
    Hubert Pierlot
    Albert De Vleeschauwer
    (Second term)
    16 April 193931 January 1945Catholic PartyHubert Pierlot
    12 February 194516 June 1945Catholic PartyAchille Van AckerPrince Charles

    Regent
    (1944–50)

    (First term)
    2 August 194518 February 1946Liberal PartyAchille Van Acker
    Lode Craeybeckx13 March 194620 March 1946Belgian Socialist PartyPaul-Henri Spaak
    Robert Godding
    (Second term)
    31 March 194611 March 1947Liberal PartyAchille Van Acker
    Camille Huysmans
    Pierre Wigny20 March 194712 August 1950Christian Social PartyPaul-Henri Spaak
    Gaston Eyskens
    Jean Duvieusart
    15 August 195012 April 1954Christian Social PartyGaston Eyskens
    Jean Duvieusart
    Joseph Pholien
    Jean Van Houtte
    Baudouin

    (1950–93)
    23 April 19542 June 1958Liberal PartyAchille Van Acker
    Gaston Eyskens
    Léo Pétillon5 July 19586 November 1958Extra-Parliamentary
    (Catholic)
    Gaston Eyskens
    6 November 19582 September 1959Christian Social PartyGaston Eyskens
    August De Schryver3 September 19592 September 1960Christian Social PartyGaston Eyskens
    Raymond Scheyven17 November 19592 September 1960Christian Social PartyGaston Eyskens
    Walter Ganshof van der Meersch16 May 196020 July 1960Extra-ParliamentaryGaston Eyskens
    Harold Charles d'Aspremont Lynden2 September 196027 March 1961Christian Social PartyGaston Eyskens

    See also

    Notes

    References

    Bibliography

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20171011115314/http://www.arch.be/index.php?l=en&m=news&r=all-news&a=2014-12-11-as-from-2015-the-fps-foreign-affairs-transfers-the-so-called-africa-archives-to-the-state-archives . 11 October 2017 . dead . As from 2015 the FPS Foreign Affairs transfers the so-called 'Africa Archives' to the State Archives . 11 December 2014 . .