Raoul Warocqué

Who was Raoul Warocqué?

Raoul Warocqué, was a Belgian industrialist of Wallonia. Raoul was the great-grandson of Nicolas Warocqué, the founder of the Warocqué-dynasty. His father was Arthur Warocqué, a promotor of Belgian horticulture, after whom the arum Anthurium warocqueanum was named.

He made the coal mines of Mariemont successful, and at 21 years of age had established a considerable fortune.

A careful investment policy made him the richest man in Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century. His industrial ventures were numerous, such as in the coal mines of Campine as well as in other industrial sectors including Clabecq, Gas and Electricity of Hainaut, railroads and coal mines in China, tobacco in Portugal, and others.

As an industrialist, he was a philanthropist and a paternalist. Raoul Warocqué was a freemason of the Grand Orient of Belgium, Belgian patriot and a royalist. At the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, he participated in the Jeune Garde libérale. In Mariemont and in Hainaut, he founded liberal organizations.

As a politician he was mayor of Morlanwelz and liberal deputy of Thuin.