Yves Vander Cruysen

Yves Vander Cruysen (9 March 1963 – 24 November 2020) was a Belgian historian and political activist who served as senior alderman of Waterloo.

Biography
After studying to become a journalist, Cruysen began his career working for L'Avenir and L'Instant. He then became a spokesman for the Walloon Minister of the Economy and started several television programmes, including Les balades de Sandrine and L'odyssée de l'Objet. He helped upgrade the site of the Battle of Waterloo and sat on the executive board of Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme.

He was Alderman of Culture of Waterloo from 1991 until his death and was a Provincial Councillor for Walloon Brabant from 1999 until his death. Cruysen founded Wallimage, served as administrator of the Fondation Folon, and created the Belgo-Festival de Waterloo. He also started the Waterloo Historical Film Festival, the Grandes Conférences Historiques de Waterloo, and the Association de promotion du cinéma belge CinéWa. He created the "Waterloo Connection", which brought international attention to the Battle of Waterloo.

Yves Vander Cruysen died of COVID-19 on 24 November 2020, at the age of 57.

Distinctions

 * Knight of the Order of Leopold
 * Knight of the Order of Leopold II