the Post-Impressionist painter born Louis Dewachter, leading retailer who managed the first chain department stores Emile Digneffe (1858–1937), lawyer and politician José Dupuis (1833–1900), creator of many roles in Offenbach's opéras-bouffes Ermano Fegatilli (born 1984), boxer César Franck (1822–1890), composer Hubert Joseph Walther Frère-Orban (1812–1896), statesman Marie Gillain (born 1975), international actress David Goffin, (born 1990), tennis player Anton Gosswin (16th century), composer Zénobe Gramme (1826–1901), inventor André Ernest Modeste Grétry (1741–1813), composer Groupe µ, team of scientists Gary Hartstein, M.D. (born 1955), Formula 1 delegate Richard Heintz (1871–1929), Post-Impressionist painter Justine Henin (born 1982), top ranked female tennis player Axel Hervelle (born 1983), basketball player Georges Ista (1874–1939), writer Joseph Jongen (1873–1953), organist, composer, and educator Sandra Kim (born 1972), winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 for Belgium Caroline Lamarche (born 1955), French-speaking writer Philippe Léonard (born 1974), football player Linus of Liège (1595–1675), Counter-reformation critic of Isaac Newton Lambert Lombard (1505–1566), painter Charles Magnette (1863–1937), lawyer and politician Georges Malempré (1944), retired UNESCO official Georges Nagelmackers (1845–1905), founder of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits Hubert Naich (16th century), composer Jacques Ochs (1883–1971), artist and Olympic fencing champion Pippin the Younger (in ; born in Jupille, 8th century), King of the Franks Henri Pousseur (1929–2009), composer Armand Rassenfosse (1862–1934), painter, graphic artist Jean Rey (1902–1983), Old Minister, Walloon movement activist second President of the European Commission Philippe-Charles Schmerling, prehistorian, founder of paleontology Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (1858–1910), architect and furniture designer Georges Simenon (1903–1989), novelist Stanislas-André Steeman (1908–1970), writer Haroun Tazieff (1914–1998), volcanologist and geologist William of St-Thierry (11th century), theologian and mystic Violetta Villas (1938–2011), Polish singer and actress Axel Witsel (born 1989), football player Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931), composer and violinist International relations Twin towns - Sister cities - Partner cities Liège is twinned with (including partner cities): Sister Cities Nancy, France (1954) Cologne, Germany (1958) Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg (1958) Lille, France (1958) Rotterdam, Netherlands (1958) Turin, Italy (1958) Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (1961) Plzeň, Czech Republic (1965) Porto, Portugal (1977) Kraków, Poland (1978) Saint-Louis, Senegal (1980) Szeged, Hungary (2001) Volgograd, Russia (1959) Suspended due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Partner cities Aachen, Germany Abidjan, Ivory Coast Baton Rouge, United States Bilbao, Spain Elbasan, Albania Hasselt, Belgium Heerlen, Netherlands Maastricht, Netherlands Port-au-Prince, Haiti Quebec City, Canada Samarkand, Uzbekistan Taiyuan, China Tangier, Morocco See also University of Liège Liège Science Park Bishop of Liège Liège–Bastogne–Liège Ratherius Liège