supplemented and amended the provisions of an August 1930 law by extending the scope of family allowances for wage-earners, while another Order issued that same month authorised the National Association for Cheap Housing to raise a loan of one thousand million Belgian francs to contribute towards the costs of a housebuilding programme for miners. He remained very popular until old age. The national tribute for his 80th birthday attracted 100,000 visitors. At the age of 83 he became chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (lower house). He was a freemason, a member of the lodge Les Amis Philanthropes of the Grand Orient of Belgium in Brussels. Huysmans is considered a friend of the Jewish people, mainly due to his friendly attitude towards Jewish immigrants in Antwerp in the years 1920–1940 and the Zionist movement. There are streets bearing his name in the cities of Netanya and Haifa in Israel. Functions Councillor in Brussels (1908–1921) Eeducation Schepen of Antwerp (1921–1933) Mayor of Antwerp (1933–1940 and 1944–1946) Councillor in Antwerp (1946–1968) Member of the lower house (1910–1965) Chairman of the lower house (1936–1939 and 1954–1958) Minister of Arts and Education (1925–1927) Prime Minister (1946–1947) Minister of Education (1947–1949) Honours : Minister of State, by Royal Decree. : member of the Royal Academie. : Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold. : knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown. Knight grand Cross in the Swedish Order of the Polar Star 1937. Commander of the Legion of Honour. Order of the British Empire. Correspondence with Lenin In his first term as secretary of the Second International he corresponded with Lenin between 1905 and 1914. The letters were published in 1963. References External links |- |- |- |- 1871 births 1968 deaths Belgian Labour Party politicians Belgian Ministers of State Belgian Socialist Party politicians Flemish activists Mayors of Antwerp, Belgium People from Bilzen Presidents of the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium) Prime Ministers of Belgium University of Liège alumni Belgian people in the United Kingdom during World War II Ministers of Education of Belgium