Willy Seeuws passed away this summer at the ripe old age of 94. As a former senator and decades-long loyal member of the Ghent Socialists, this did not go unnoticed. It's not difficult to find an overview of Willy's rich career online, in databases like Wikipedia or ODIS .
Nevertheless, we at Amsab-ISG would also like to take a moment to commemorate this warm and active figure. Willy Seeuws was present from the very beginning, at the founding meeting of the non-profit organization AMSAB on May 23, 1980, when the decision was made to transition from a Ghent socialist party archive to an independent institute for social history. The then-founding director, Wouter Steenhaut, and Willy Seeuws knew each other well, having participated in many evening election campaigns in the cooperative's trucks.
"Willy" was a regular at Amsab-ISG. He visited us countless times, often with just a few plastic bags of materials, always good for a warm chat over a cup of coffee. Just like his closest companion, the future mayor of Ghent, Gilbert Temmerman, Willy Seeuws tirelessly encouraged the many branches of the socialist movement to bring their historical material to Amsab-ISG. Towards the end, more intimate material from his own life was also added to our collection, such as the beautiful collection of photos of the Red Falcons from his youth.
It was undoubtedly the cultured soul within the political beast, Willy Seeuws, who irresistibly drew him back to us time and again. Willy had many talents and led the socialist cultural umbrella organization CSC (now Curieus ) for a long time. His love of music was one of them. When we think back on Willy Seeuws, it's primarily for the glorious musical evenings of his choir Morgenrood at the statue of Pierre De Geyter (*), which kicked off the May Day celebrations each year.
Willy Seeuws was an emotional socialist, a staunch liberal, and averse to positions and lengthy political meetings. Always on the barricades, always straightforward, but essentially a kind man. Thank you, Willy, for supporting us for so many years and enriching our collection. You will certainly never be forgotten.
© Amsab-ISG
View the complete archive of Willy Seeuws in our collection
(*) Pierre De Geyter, born in Ghent, was the composer of "The Internationale," the anthem of the socialist movement. With the support of Amsab-ISG, a statue was erected in his honor in the garden of the Industrial Museum, near Baudelo Park.
