Marcel Florkin

Marcel Florkin was born in Liège on August 15, 1900. A physician, he began his career as an internist in a psychiatric hospital and obtained his doctorate in medicine from the University of Liège (1928). He continued his training at foreign universities such as Harvard, Paris and Cambridge, then joined the FNRS (from 1932 to 1934) before being appointed lecturer at ULg in 1934. There, he organized the first biochemistry courses.

While his work as a biochemist is considerable, Marcel Florkin is also known for his contributions to the history of science. His biography of Theodor Schwann is still authoritative, as is his history of "Médecine et médecins au pays de Liège", published in 3 volumes from 1954 to 1964. But his organizational skills also earned him recognition in the world of science and culture. He was Belgian delegate to UNESCO's General Conferences from 1946 to 1974, and Director General of Higher Education and Science in Belgium. He was also the first President of the International Union of Biochemistry and a member of the Scientific Research Council of the WHO (World Health Organization).