Jan Frans Vonck

Flemish lawyer and leader of the 1789–1790 Brabant Revolution – a founding figure of the modern Belgian state and precursor to Belgian liberalism.

Jan Frans Vonck was a Flemish lawyer and one of the key leaders of the Brabant Revolution of 1789–1790, which briefly led to the founding of the United States of Belgium. Leading the Vonckists – the radical faction inspired by the French Revolution – he advocated for abolishing the feudal privilege system and establishing a more centralised government, directly opposing the conservative Statists. Vonck is regarded as a forerunner of modern Belgian liberalism, and his ideas have had a lasting influence on the country's political culture. Today his legacy is commemorated through monuments and street names across Belgium.