Auguste Vander Meersch

Vander Meersch was born in Ghent on 25 August 1810. He studied at Ghent University, graduating with a doctorate in law in 1833. Abandoning the legal profession, he focused his efforts on local history and biographical research.^[1]

When Jules de Saint-Genois launched the plan for a Biographie Nationale, Vander Meersch drafted the first list of who should be included. He undertook the management of the venture, seeing to the printing, accounting and correspondence.^[1] He also wrote a number of entries himself, especially of lesser literary figures for which no takers could be found among the regular contributors.^[1]

Vander Meersch was furthermore a contributor on political and economic questions to the daily newspapers.^[1] He died in Ghent on 7 November 1881.