Raoul Charles, Baron Van Caenegem (14 July 1927 – 15 June 2018), was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

historian and noted expert in the field of European legal history.

Biography

Raoul Van Caenegem was born in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

on 14 July 1927. He became a professor at the

University of Ghent Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when the ...

. In 1974, he was awarded the

Francqui Prize The Francqui Prize is a prestigious Belgian scholarly and scientific prize named after Émile Francqui. Normally annually since 1933, the Francqui Foundation awards it in recognition of the achievements of a scholar or scientist, who at the start ...

human sciences Human science (or human sciences in the plural), also known as humanistic social science and moral science (or moral sciences), studies the philosophical, biological, social, and cultural aspects of human life. Human science aims to expand our ...

for his work on

medieval history In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

. He studied the history of continental and English common law, and why they diverged so sharply. He revealed the significance of power struggles between the judiciary, legislators, and legal scholars. He wrote in Dutch and English, with some of his most notable works being translated into other European languages. Van Caenegem became a foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1977. In 1995 he was awarded the title of baron ''ad personam''. He died on 15 June 2018.Obituary
on the blog of Standen & Landen - Anciens Pays et Assemblées d'États.

Family

Van Caenegem was married to the British-born historian

Patricia Carson Patricia Mary, Baroness Carson (5 March 1929, Oreston - 13 October 2014, Ghent) was an Anglo-Belgian historian and author. Family Patricia Carson was the daughter of Archibald-Stewart Carson and Hilde-Dorothy (née Clewlow) Carson. In 1954, she ...

, who was ennobled in 1996 with the personal title of Baroness.

Works

* "Foundations: c. 750-c. 1150, Government, Law & Society", in '' The Cambridge History of Medieval Political Thought, c. 350–1450'', ed. J. H. Burns, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988. * ''The Birth of the English Common Law'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1973, 2nd edition 1988. * ''An Historical Introduction to Private Law'', translated by D. E. L. Johnston, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1992. * ''An Historical Introduction to Western Constitutional Law'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995

Literature

* G.R. Elton, ''Return to Essentials: Some Reflections on the Present State of Historical Studies'', Cambridge University Press, 1991. * Th. Denoël, ''Le nouveau dictionnaire des Belges'', 1992 * S. Dauchy, J. Monballyu, A. Wijffels (eds.) ''Auctoritates. Xenia R.C. Van Caenegem oblata (De auteurs van de rechtsontwikkeling)'', Brussels, Paleis der Academiën, 2000. * Oscar Coomans de Brachène, ''État présent de la noblesse belge'', Annuaire 2002; Annuaire 2004

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caenegem, Raoul Van 1927 births 2018 deaths Barons of Belgium Belgian medievalists Academic staff of Ghent University Legal historians Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts Corresponding Fellows of the British Academy Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America 20th-century Belgian historians People from Ghent