The Minister of Sciences and Art

At the end of the First World War, the first governments of national coalition (coalition of the three great parties : liberal, catholic, socialist) are following one another and start with the reconstruction of the nation.

In 1919, Jules Destrée becomes Minister of Sciences and Art, function occupied since 1884 by the catholic party. He is also responsible for the Education where he tries to establish scholastic peace, as a man of conviction and dialogue. Within twenty months, working for a public school, free of charge and secular, he achieves significant progress and this one is the most important : the application of the law on compulsory education from 6 to 12 years old children that he extends to the age of 14.

Working in the department of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts, his favourite field, he realizes in less than two years an impressive and innovative cultural programme.
For instance we owe to him the foundation of the Belgian Academy, the Académie royale de Langue et de Littérature françaises de Belgique ( forthcoming web site), opened on 16 February 1921, and the law on public libraries.

To preserve, conserve and enrich the Belgian artistic patrimonium is one of his major preoccupations. Jules Destrée devoted himself to the protection and the promotion of creators, artists and their works as well.

The work done by Jules Destrée inside the Government is unanimously acclaimed. He brings the bases of a first Ministry of Culture, as a whole.