Belgian officials have decided to honour wartime hero Andrée Geulen, who helped rescue hundreds of Jewish children during World War II, by naming a street after her.
The street straddles Brussels municipalities Ixelles and Uccle, whose mayors, Christos Doulkeridis and Boris Dilliès, endorsed the proposal to pay tribute to Geulen’s valour.
The street to be renamed in honour of Geulen is the current Edmond Picard street. The changeover will be official from 1 November.
Edmond Picard, who was a jurist, writer, and senator in the late 19th to early 20th century, is now seen as an influential theorist of anti-semitism. His views on racial hierarchy are contrary to the values the two municipalities uphold, their officials noted in a shared statement.
Andrée Geulen, who was born in 1921, risked her life to protect Jewish children during World War II. She was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations honour, received honorary Israeli citizenship, and was named an honorary citizen of Ixelles.
During the German occupation, Geulen, then a young teacher, undertook several rescue missions. She arranged the transfer of Jewish children from their original homes to Belgian families and boarding schools. By 1943, Geulen had gone into hiding to continue her life-saving work.
After the liberation, her dedication continued: she worked to reunite the saved children with their parents or relatives.
