Omer Vanaudenhove
Omer Jean Rodolphe Burggraf Vanaudenhove (born 3 December 1913 in Diest, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, † November 26, 1994 in Leuven, Flemish Brabant) was a Belgian businessman and liberal politician of the Partij voor de Vrijheid Vooruitgang - Parti de la Liberté et du Progres (PVV -PLP ).
Biography
Entrepreneurial activity, Mayor and Minister
Vanaudenhove came from a liberal family of entrepreneurs and was the second of three sons. His older brother Marcel Vanaudenhove was director of community Kreditanstalt of Belgium, while his younger brother Albert Vanaudenhove together with his goal for the small family business in Diest one of the largest footwear companies in Belgium. For this reason, he gave up his studies in engineering in 1932 on back. In 1939, he began his military service in the Belgian armed forces, while his brother Albert forwarded the company. After he was captured during the Second World War by the Army, he spent two years in Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
After his return to Diest, he began his political career in the elections to municipal 1947. Between 1947 and 1972 he was continuously a member of the Municipal Council of Diest. After the victory of the Liberal Party, he was mayor in 1947 and held that office until January 1955. Besides he was co-opted in 1954 as a member of the Senate.
However, a position he also issued in January 1955 after he was appointed by Prime Minister Achille Van Acker as successor by Adolphe Van Glabbeke to the Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction in the left-liberal government after the Van Ackers. With a brief interruption in 1958, he held this office in the following Catholic- Liberal coalition led by Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens to April 1961. In this role, he campaigned for the building of the first motorways and other major public works as part of Expo 58.
Party Chairman and retirement from politics
After retiring from the government In 1961 he was Chairman of the Liberal Party, succeeding Roger Motz.
After several previous election defeats, he decided this party reshuffle in a new party and so was still 1961, the Partij voor de Vrijheid Vooruitgang - Parti de la Liberté et du Progres (PVV -PLP ). In the aftermath, some Catholic politicians were placed on promising places list and thereby increasing the attractiveness of the party for new voters. In fact, the party gained increasing electoral success and recorded a gain of 21.6 per cent votes in elections to the Chamber of Deputies in 1965. The PVV -PLP could also increase the proportion of their mandates from 20 to 48. This occurred in 1966, the PVV -PLP in the government of Prime Minister Paul Vanden Boeynants. Since Vanaudenhove but still decided to remain party leader, was Willy De Clercq Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Vanden Boeynants and also budget minister.
For his political merits him the honorary title of Minister of State was awarded on July 12, 1966.
In September 1968 he finally resigned as party chairman and was succeeded in that office by Norbert Hougardy and Milou Jeunehomme who officiated as co -chair of the PVV -PLP to January 1969.
After retiring from political life, he devoted himself again reinforced the family. He expanded the shoe Wholesale Shoe Central to the production operation euros Vana. Later, these two units were merged to form today's Euro Shoe Unie and it formed the well-known Belgian shoe store chain Shoe mail. In the following years came other shoe store chains such as Avance, and Primo Shoe Discount in Belgium and abroad.
In 1976 he was again mayor of Diest, but came back in 1978 for reasons of health from this office. Him the noble title of viscount was awarded in 1989.
His wife Elizabeth was Eatough 1982-2006 also a member of the municipal council of Diest. Then his youngest daughter Pascale Vanaudenhove 2006 was a member of the City Council.