Frans Schollaert


François Victor Marie Ghislain Schollaert was a Belgian Catholic Party politician who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 1907 to 1911.
Born in Wilsele, Schollaert trained as a lawyer and practiced in Leuven. He served as head of the Flemish farmer's union, the Boerenbond. He sat in the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives from 1888 onwards, holding the office of President of the Chamber from 1901 to 1908, and from 1911 until his death.
On Jules de Trooz's sudden death on the last day of 1907, Schollaert replaced him as the prime minister of Belgium, also holding the Interior and Agriculture portfolios from 1908 to 1910, and the Arts and Science portfolio from 1910 to 1911. Schollaert was PM while the Belgian parliament, in heated debates, voted to annex the Congo Free State, which had been privately owned by Belgian King Leopold II. It became known as the Belgian Congo.

Honours

The Schollaert Channel, discovered in 1898 by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Gerlache, was named for him.