Movember could have been designed for this distinguished Belgian, Charles (or Karel) Buls, politician, writer and mayor of Brussels from 1881-1899.

He was a great proponent of language equality, insisting that policemen had to be able to speak both French and Dutch and that bilingual signposting be established throughout the city. Probably his most lasting achievement was the  preservation of old parts of Brussels as a result of his opposition to the grandiose architectural schemes of King Leopold II.  In particular, he defended the Mont des Arts and the Grand Place, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, successfully proposing the 1883 city ordinance that protected the façades of the Grand Place buildings and  funded their restoration  between 1883 and 1923.

He died in 1914, aged 76, and is still remembered fondly.  This large statue of him and his dog sits at the edge of a fountain in the Place Agoraplein, close to his beloved Grand Place.

Linked to Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Statues and Travel Journey of the Week.