Huysmans, Camille

Huysmans, Camille 

Born May 26, 1871, in Bilzen, near Limburg; died Feb. 25, 1968, in Antwerp. Belgian political figure; one of the leaders of the Belgian Socialist Party. Born in the family of a civil servant.

In 1891, Huysmans graduated from the department of philosophy and philology of the University of Liège. From 1905 to 1922 he was secretary of the International Socialist Bureau of the Second International; he occupied a centrist position. He corresponded with V. I. Lenin. In 1905–07 he helped Russian revolutionary organizations by purchasing arms from Belgian plants. During the years 1910–65 he was a deputy in parliament. In 1925–27 he was minister of science and art. In 1927–33 he was director and editor in chief of the Flemish socialist newspaper Volksgazet.In 1933–40 and 1944–46 he was burgomaster of Antwerp. In 1936–39 and 1954–58 he was chairman of the Chamber of Representatives in parliament. In 1940–44 he lived in London. In 1940 he was elected chairman of the Bureau of the Socialist Workers’ International. In 1946–47 he was prime minister and in 194749, minister of education. In 1955 and 1961 he visited the USSR.

REFERENCES

Lenin, V. I. “Pis’mo sekretariu Mezhdunarodnogo sotsialistiches-kogo biuro Giuismansu.” Poln. sobr. soch.,5th ed., vol. 21.
Lenin, V. I. “Doklad Mezhdunarodnomu sotsialisticheskomu biuro.” Ibid.,vol. 24.
Lenin, V. I. “[Pis’mo] K Giuismansu.” Ibid., vol. 48.