# Léon Bekaert

_Industrialist, politician (1891-1961)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/leon-bekaert
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> Léon Antoine Bekaert was a Belgian industrialist and politician. He was the son of Leo Leander Bekaert, who founded the family business in 1880.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 9 December 1891 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Zwevegem ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P19))
- **Died:** 19 December 1961 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P570))
- **Place of death:** Zwevegem ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Belgium ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P106))
- **Political party:** Christian Social Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P102))
- **Positions held:** president (1958–1961); Mayor of Zwevegem (1927–1961) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P39))
- **Awards:** honorary doctorate at the Laval University; Commander of the Order of the Crown; Knight of the Order of Leopold II; Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great; Knight Commander of the Order of St. Sylvester; Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (Belgium) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040#P166))

## Questions

**When was Léon Bekaert born?**  
Léon Bekaert was born on 9 December 1891 in Zwevegem.

**What positions has Léon Bekaert held?**  
Positions held by Léon Bekaert include: president (1958–1961); Mayor of Zwevegem (1927–1961).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Léon Bekaert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Bekaert) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q6711040](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6711040) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Leon Antoine Bekaert -1933 Deerlijk Photo (cropped).jpg by Nico F. Declercq (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leon_Antoine_Bekaert_-1933_Deerlijk_Photo_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Léon Bekaert, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Leon Antoine Bekaert -1933 Deerlijk Photo (cropped).jpg — Nico F. Declercq, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Léon Bekaert". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/leon-bekaert. Retrieved 6 November 2026.