Alfons Siffer

Siffer was born in Zomergem on 21 March 1850 and studied at the diocesan secondary schools in Eeklo, Oudenaarde and Sint-Niklaas.

[3] With capital from his wife's half-sister, Sophie Léliart, he set up in business as a book dealer and publisher, supplying textbooks for Catholic schools, annuals and bulletins for clubs and societies, luxury albums, specialist journals and newspapers.

As acting mayor he gave an opening address to the University of Ghent at the beginning of the 1909 academic year; this was the first to be given in Dutch.

[4] In 1912 he was elected to the Belgian parliament for the constituency Ghent-Eeklo, and spoke in support of the use of Dutch in public life and in the army.

Under the German occupation of Belgium during World War I he publicly distanced himself from the "activists" calling for an independent Flanders.