Life
Charles was born in Huldenberg, Belgium, and was the second son of Evrard Philippe, Count of Limburg Stirum (October 29, 1868 – May 8, 1938) and Louise, Baronne Gericke d'Herwijnen (April 17, 1881 - September 6, 1969). He was later adopted by his aunt, Marie of Limburg Stirum who was without descent, to inherit the castle of Bois Saint Jean in the South of Belgium.
During World War II, he fought as a captain with the Belgian panzer troops and was made prisoner by the Germans. Released, he took an active part to the armed resistance against the occupier. Bois Saint Jean became an important drop point of material and arms to the Belgian resistance. During the Von Rundstedt Offensive in winter 1944, Bois Saint Jean was overtaken by the Germans and later the castle was bombed to the ground by the US air force.
After the war, he rebuilt the castle of Bois Saint Jean, though in a different style than the original building. Charles de Limburg Stirum served as Senator, then was appointed Grand Master of the King Leopold III after King Leopold’s abdication. He held this office until 1971.
He died in Brussels.
Read more about this topic: Count Charles Of Limburg Stirum
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“The consciousness in each man is a sliding scale, which identifies him now with the First Cause, and now with the flesh of his body; life above life, in infinite degrees.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“For all the boredom the straight life brings, it’s not too bad.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter and director, and Dan Yost. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon)
“In the twentieth century, death terrifies men less than the absence of real life. All these dead, mechanized, specialized actions, stealing a little bit of life a thousand times a day until the mind and body are exhausted, until that death which is not the end of life but the final saturation with absence.”
—Raoul Vaneigem (b. 1934)