Paul Harsin

Paul Harsin , born in Liege on January 21st, 1902, deceased in Liege on July 11th, 1983, is a historian who obtained the Prix Francqui in 1950. It is also a Walloon militant.

Scientific career

Doctor of history, right and political sciences of the University of Liege (1924 and 1926), it is introduced to the nomination as part-time lecturer to Camille Huysmans which refuses this nomination for financial reasons . Graduate of the School of the high studies to Paris, professor with the Athenaeum of Malmedy, Harsin is finally part-time lecturer in 1929, professor in 1933. He will mark the studies of history of his time in particular by the book How the history is written. He receives besides the Price Francqui in 1950, the quinquennial price of history (in 1956 - 1960), is made Honorary doctor universities of Grenoble, Lille and Paris, occupies the Francqui Pulpit with the Université of Ghent (1946 - 1947), with the Universit3e libre de Bruxelles (1952 - 1953]]) then finally with the catholic Université of Leuwen (1960 - 1961). He entered to the royal Académie of language and of literature Frenchwomen in 1951, becomes member corresponding of the Institut of France in 1975, is regarded as one of the large specialists in the political institutions and economic of the Ancien mode. He undertakes the creation of a section of modern economic studies in 1949 which will organize many international symposiums and will publish in 1959 the dynamics of the area inhabitant of Li2ege which questions as well the management of industries of Liege as that of the banks of Brussels. In the years 1970 it supports Pierre Lebrun who inaugurates in Liege a Center of quantitative History .

The Walloon militant

Member of the committee of sponsorship of the second Walloon cultural Congress (in Liege in 1955), of the committee inhabitant of Li2ege which sponsors the Walloon Pétitionnement of 1963, Harsin already engaged before the war in particular while contributing to the Walloon Earth of Élie Baussart. He adheres to Walloon Rénovation in 1945, takes part in the Walloon National congress of 1945, belonged to the group of the Walloon catholics opposed to the return of Léopold III which will write in this direction with the bishop of Liege Monseigneur Kerkhofs, the text of the letter being besides of the feather of Harsin. In 1953, with Robert Royer it presents to the Prime Minister a report drawing the attention of the government to the economic difficulties of Wallonia. In 1963, it gives an opinion in favor of the maintenance of the Fourons in the Province of Liege in 1962, sign the petition Wallonia in Europe in 1966 and appears in June 1976 among the signatories of the Nouvelle Letter in the King for a true federalism proposed in the signature of intellectuals by Fernand Dehousse, Marcel Thiry and Jean Rey. In 1977, Paul Harsin is the seventh candidate of the list of the Walloon Rassemblement of Liege in company of Pierre Bertrand, Lucien Outers, Jacques Levaux and Jean Mottard in particular.

Encyclopedia of the Walloon Movement, Volume II, pp. 785-786

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