Pieter de Decker

Pierre ( Pieter ) Jacques François de Decker (also De Decker , Dedecker ; born January 25, 1812 in Zele ( East Flanders ), † January 4, 1891 in Brussels ) was a Belgian statesman .

De Decker completed his school days at a Jesuit college . He then studied at the universities of Paris and Ghent law . In addition to working as a lawyer in Brussels , he worked as a journalist, first becoming co-editor of the Journal de Flandres and in 1837, together with Antony Deschamps, founded the clerical Revue de Bruxelles , which existed until 1851. He also published two volumes of poetry in 1835 under the title Religion et amour .

In 1839 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the Dendermonde district and joined the ultramontane party . But he tried to take a certain middle position between the extreme party standpoints. He also supported the Flemish people's rights to the equality of their language. He set his political and social theories in several writings, such as: Du pétitionnement en faveur de la langue flamande (1840), De l'influence du clergé en Belgique (1843), Quinze ans de 1830 a 1845 (1845), L'esprit de parti et l'esprit national (1852) etc., apart. His Études historiques et critiques sur les monts-de-plété en Belgique (1844) gave him a seat in the Belgian Academy.

After the liberal cabinet Brouckère had taken his dismissal on March 2, 1855, de Decker took over on the 30th of the same month in the newly appointed ministry Vilain XIIII the portfolio of the interior. His attempts at mediation finally failed because of the charity law, which under the freedom of the charitable foundations tried to play them completely into the hands of the clergy. Since the excitement in the country rose to tumultuous movements and the elections of the municipal councils in October 1857 were very much in favor of the liberals, the cabinet resigned.

He then participated in the financial operations of André Langrand-Dumonceau and became one of the directors of the "Christian Bank". When the clerical ministry d'Anethan nevertheless appointed him governor of the province of Limburg in November 1871 , this aroused so great resistance among the people that it came to tumultuous appearances in Brussels, not only de Decker's resignation, but also that of the ministry and the The appointment of a new ministry de Theux resulted. De Decker was also involved in Langrand's criminal trial, but was put out of action in 1877.

Works (selection)

Biography de H. Conscience . 1885.
Esprit de parti et 'esprit national . 1852.
Etude politique sur le vicomte Ch. Vilain XIIII . 1879.
Etudes historiques et critiques sur les monts-de-piété en Belgique . Brussels 1844.
De l'influence du libre arbitre de l'homme sur les fails sociaux . Brussels 1848.

personal data
SURNAME	De Decker, Pieter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	De Decker, Pierre Jacques François; Dedecker, Pieter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Belgian statesman
DATE OF BIRTH	January 25, 1812
PLACE OF BIRTH	Zele ( East Flanders )
DATE OF DEATH	January 4, 1891
Place of death	Brussels