{{short description|Belgian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Edward Anseele | image = Eduard Anseele.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1856|7|26}} | birth_place = [[Ghent]], Belgium | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1938|2|18|1856|7|26}} | death_place = [[Ghent]], Belgium | other_names = | known_for = | political_party = [[Belgian Labor Party]] | occupation = [[Journalist]], [[politician]] }} '''Edward Anseele''' (26 July 1856 – 18 February 1938) was a Belgian [[socialist]] [[politician]]. Edward Anseele became active in the early Belgian socialist movement. Anseele attended the Royal Athenaeum in [[Ghent]] until the age of 17.
==Career== Edward Anseele came from a liberal family of shoemakers. He received several years of secondary education at the Royal Atheneum at the Voskenslaan in Ghent, which in view of his humble origins was at the time rather exceptional. After his studies he went to work as a clerk. The socialist congress of 1877, in Ghent was the start of his socialist commitment. He became employed as a journalist of the magazine ''De Volkswil'', later transformed into the socialist daily ''Vooruit!'' (English: "Forward!"). He organized a cooperative bakery ''Vooruit'' which was founded in 1880. This was the start of a complete range of [[cooperative]] ventures which in the long term would create an industrial empire. This way, Anseele tried to create a counterweight to the [[capitalism|capitalist]] ventures, and was able to provide support to workers' actions. During the economic crisis of the thirties this network of cooperatives would be largely lost. [[File:Edward anseele frankrijkplein gent.jpg|thumb|Statue of Edward Anseele on the Frankrijkplein in Ghent]] Anseele was for a long time municipality Council member and [[alderman]] in Ghent, temporary burgomaster and a member of parliament. He was one of the founders of the socialist [[Belgian Labour Party|Belgische Werkliedenpartij]]. During [[World War I]] the Germans offered him the title of ''President of Belgium'', which he declined. After the war, he was rewarded for this stance with several ministerial functions: from 1918 until 1921, he was the minister for Public Works and from 1925 until 1927, minister of Railroads and PTT (Mail Telegraph and Telephone). In 1930, he got the honorary title of Minister of State.
==Bibliography== * ''Voor 't volk geofferd'' (1881) * ''De omwenteling van 1830'' (1882) * ''De algemeene werkstaking'' (1888) * ''De ware vijand van werkman en kleinen burger'' (1890) * ''De samenwerking en het socialisme ''(1902) * ''Vooruit'' en de Vlaamsche Beweging (1913)
== References == {{reflist}}
==Sources== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070605090420/http://www.degrootstebelg.be/dgb_master/100belgen/dgb_anseele_edward/index.shtml Edward Anseele] * Paul Kenis, ''Het leven van Edward Anseele'', Publ. De Vlam
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Anseele, Edward}} [[Category:1856 births]] [[Category:1938 deaths]] [[Category:Belgian Labour Party politicians]] [[Category:Belgian cooperative organizers]] [[Category:Ministers of state of Belgium]] [[Category:20th-century Belgian politicians]] [[Category:19th-century Belgian politicians]] [[Category:Politicians from Ghent]] [[Category:Flemish politicians]]