Karel Poma

Karel Emiel Hubert, Baron Poma (b. Antwerp, 14 March 1920) is a Belgian liberal and politician for the PVV. He is a son of Carolus Poma, who was a lieutenant of the Antwerp fire brigade, and subsequently council member (1946-1958) and mayor (1953-1958) of the town Wilrijk. He is married to Juliana Walgraeve, and together they have two children; a son Peter (b. 1950) and a daughter Kathleen (b. 1954).

Education

Poma went to high school at the Royal Athenaeum of Antwerp, where he graduated in "Latin-Sciences" (1938). In 1943, he obtained a Licentiate in Sciences at the University of Ghent (Ghent, Belgium). In 1946, he obtained a PhD degree in science from the same university. He graduated as a bacteriologist at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in 1946. During World War II, he was active in the resistance against the Nazi occupation of Belgium, for which he was honored after the war.

Professional career

Poma started his professional career in 1945 at the Antwerp Water Works (AWW) and became head of the laboratory of the AWW. He left the AWW in 1971, to be able to dedicate himself entirely to his political mandate. He was part-time docent environmental hygiene, for engineers and graduates of health care (physicians and nursing staff) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1979-1990).

Political career

From 1965-1985, Poma was a member of the Belgian parliament for the liberal party PVV. From 1965-1971 and 1981-1985 he was a senator. From 1971-1981 he was a member of parliament. From 1977-1981, he was floor leader for the PVV in the Culture Council and 1980-1981 of the Flemish Council.From 1976-1982, he was a member of the village council of Wilrijk; and 1982-1988 member of the city council of Antwerp (Wilrijk became a part of Antwerp in 1982). In 1968 and 1973-1974 he was president of the Liberaal Vlaams Verbond (LVV).

Because of his large merit for his country he was knighted by king Albert II of Belgium in 2005, and obtained the title of baron.

Bibliography

* "Wat men moet weten over het Belgisch liberalisme" (1954), together with Frans Janssens
* "Knoeien met ons Leefmilieu" (1973)
* "Energie en Democratie" (1976)
* "Actie Vrijmetselaren, een politieke benadering van de moderne vrijmetselarij" (1996)
* "Een visie op de Grote Architect van het Heelal" (1999)

ource

* [http://www.liberaalarchief.be/PomaCV.html Karel Poma]