Oswald Van Ooteghem

Oswald Van Ooteghem
Member of the Flemish Council
In office
21 October 1980 – 12 December 1987
Member of the Cultural Council for the Dutch Cultural Community
In office
4 April 1974 – 20 October 1980
Member of the Senate of Belgium
In office
10 March 1974 – 12 December 1987
Member of the Provincial Council of East Flanders
In office
1965–1974
Personal details
Born(1924-08-14)14 August 1924
Ghent, Belgium
Died1 November 2022(2022-11-01) (aged 98)
Gentbrugge, Belgium
PartyVU
EducationSint-Lucasinstituut

Oswald Van Ooteghem (14 August 1924 – 1 November 2022) was a Belgian politician.

His father, Herman Van Ooteghem, was a military leader in the far-right Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond which collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. Oswald Van Ooteghem himself interrupted his architecture studies in 1941 to join the Flemish Legion, which fought alongside the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front.[1] After the war, he became a prominent member of the Sint-Maartensfonds, an association that defended the interests of former Nazi collaborators.[1] Van Ooteghem also became a member of the People's Union. In this capacity, he served in the Senate from 1974 to 1987 and in the Flemish Council from 1980 to 1987.[2] In 1977, he was a founding member of the pro-Apartheid "friendship association" Protea.[1]

Van Ooteghem died in Gentbrugge on 1 November 2022, at the age of 98.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Cappelle, Jan (1981). "De zwarte schaduw van de Vlaamse burgerij". In De Bock, Walter (ed.). Extreem-rechts en de staat. Berchem: EPO. pp. 67–68. ISBN 9064459711.
  2. ^ "Oswald Van Ooteghem". Flemish Parliament (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 August 2020.
  3. ^ Moerman, Bart (2 November 2022). "Hij heeft zijn oostfrontverleden nooit verloochend: eresenator Oswald Van Ooteghem (98) overleden". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Gentbrugge. Retrieved 3 November 2022.