Camille Gutt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Camille Gutt
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Gutt at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944
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| Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund |
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| In office 6 May 1946 – 5 May 1951 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ivar Rooth |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Camille Guttenstein
14 November 1884 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 7 June 1971 (aged 86) Brussels, Belgium |
| Alma mater | Université Libre de Bruxelles |
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Camille Gutt (born Camille Guttenstein) was an important Belgian economist, politician, and businessman. He was born on November 14, 1884, and passed away on June 7, 1971. He is best known for being the very first leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 1946 to 1951. He also created a special plan that helped Belgium's economy recover quickly after World War II.
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Camille Gutt's Early Life
Camille Gutt was born in Brussels, Belgium. His father, Max Guttenstein, moved to Belgium from Austria-Hungary in 1877. Max became a Belgian citizen in 1886. Camille went to high school in Ixelles.
He studied at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). There, he earned a PhD in legal studies, which means he was an expert in law. He also got a master's degree in political and social sciences. In 1906, he married Claire Frick. They had three sons: Jean-Max, François, and Etienne.
His Important Career
Camille Gutt worked in many different areas. He was involved in big companies like the Société Générale de Belgique. He also had a long career in politics. During World War I, he worked for Georges Theunis, who was an important Belgian politician. Gutt later became the Minister of Finance for Belgium several times between 1934 and 1944.
Saving the Belgian Franc
One of Gutt's most famous achievements was saving the Belgian currency, called the Belgian franc. He did this both before and after World War II. Before the war, he secretly moved Belgium's gold reserves. This kept the gold safe from the Nazis.
After the war, he helped make the Belgian franc strong again. He stopped prices from rising too fast, which is called inflation. This plan is still known as the Gutt operation.
Role in European Cooperation
Camille Gutt also played a big part in creating the Benelux union. This was an agreement between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It helped these countries work together more closely. This early cooperation later helped lead to the formation of the European Union.
Honours and Awards
Camille Gutt received many awards for his important work:
Belgium: Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau
Luxemburg: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Oak Crown- Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Merit
France: Grand Officer in the Legion of Honour
See also
In Spanish: Camille Gutt para niños
