In memoriam: former director Daniel Cahen (1943–2025)

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Daniel Cahen on 11 September 2025 in Braine-l'Alleud, at the age of 82. He left a lasting mark on the archaeology and museology of our country.

Daniel Cahen (born in 1943 in Boma, Democratic Republic of Congo) was a passionate prehistorian who began his career at the Royal Museum for Central Africa. There he participated in excavations in the DR Congo and later collaborated on the famous Paleolithic site of Pincevent in France. He attended lectures by the renowned archaeologist André Leroi-Gourhan at the Sorbonne and published work on the Late Paleolithic site of Meer in Belgium. He subsequently dedicated himself to research on the early Neolithic period.

Ambitious exhibitions

In 1988, Daniel Cahen became director of our institute, a position he held with great dedication until 2005. Under his leadership, the museum underwent a true metamorphosis. He ensured that museology gained an important place in the organization and launched an ambitious program of permanent and temporary exhibitions.

His vision was successful: from 1989 onwards, the museum became immensely popular again, partly thanks to the introduction of animatronic dinosaurs – a technological first for that time. Daniel Cahen also played a crucial role in securing funding for the complete renovation of the Janlet wing, where our famous Iguanodons of Bernissart are displayed.

Generous personality

In addition to his work as director, Daniel Cahen contributed to the scientific community in Belgium. As the first secretary of the FNRS contact group "Préhistoire – Prehistorie" he helped make possible the establishment of the journal Notae Praehistoricae in 1980, an important communication tool for researchers that still exists today. Even after his retirement, he remained active for the Federal Scientific Institutions.

Colleagues remember Daniel Cahen as a demanding but above all generous personality. Behind his sometimes somewhat gruff exterior lay great humanity, touching shyness, and unwavering loyalty. His scientific and human legacy remains unforgettable.