Marguerite Bervoets
1914-1944
Marguerite Bervoets was a philosopher, poet, and resistance fighter who was executed by guillotine in 1944 after a daring espionage mission. Her courage made her a national symbol, with streets, schools, and monuments across Belgium—and even in Paris—bearing her name.
Marguerite Bervoets held degrees in philosophy and literature and was also an active poet. When the Germans invaded Belgium, she was working as a teacher in Tournai. On 8 August 1942, she and fellow resistance member Cécile Detournay went to the Nazi-occupied airfield in Chièvres to photograph anti-aircraft defences. They were caught and arrested. Bervoets was deported to Germany on 12 June 1943, sentenced to death on 12 March 1944, and executed by guillotine on 7 August 1944—together with Fernande Volral—at Wolfenbüttel prison.
After the war, she became a national symbol of courage and perseverance. A biography of her appeared as early as 1947 and was reprinted several times. Memorial plaques were placed in Mons and Tournai, and a statue was erected in La Louvière to honour her sacrifice. The Royal Atheneum of Mons bears her name, and streets named after her can be found in places such as Vorst, Mons, and even Paris. New biographies were published in 2004 and 2014, and a major exhibition was held in Mons to mark the centenary of her birth. Her legacy is kept alive by the Marguerite Bervoets Committee and the ULB literary studies student prize named in her honour.
Sources:
- Ledenmagazine vzw Helden van het verzet, maart 2025
- Cegesoma: https://www.belgiumwwii.be/nl/belgie-in-oorlog/personen/bervoets-marguerite.html