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The Eric Speeckaert Fund for the study of the works of Prince Charles-Joseph de Ligne, entrusted to UNamur by the King Baudouin Foundation, constitutes an exceptional collection of books, manuscripts and archival documents relating to the figure of Charles-Joseph de Ligne and collected by bookseller and bibliophile Eric Speeckaert.
Prince Charles-Joseph de Ligne
Maréchal d'Empire, diplomat and man of letters with a passion for art, gardens and science, Charles-Joseph de Ligne (1735-1814) left us, through his writings, a memory of the political and military events of a pivotal period in European history, at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. His works also bear witness to the evolution of knowledge, technical progress, the circulation of ideas and cultural practices in Europe during this period.
A unique collection assembled by bibliophile Eric Speeckaert
A former student of UNamur, where he completed his law applications, Eric Speeckaert has chosen the Moretus Plantin University Library as the custodian institution for the heritage collection he created in 2014 at the King Baudoin Foundation. The fund brings together the collection he has patiently assembled over 25 years, which now comprises 175 items from the 18th to the 21st century. It includes some extremely rare first editions of the Prince de Ligne's works, 39 prints prior to 1815 and 10 autographs by the man who was nicknamed "the greatest of the Walloons" in his day. The collection has been fully digitized and is accessible on the library's Neptun portal.