Leon Van der Rest

Léon Van der Rest (1846–1932) was a Belgian lawyer, businessman and governor of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) from 1918 until 1923.

He started his career as a lawyer at the Brussels Bar, but after a few years took charge of the family business as an ironmonger.

When Théophile de Lantsheere was removed as governor of the bank by the Germans on 22 December 1914 at the start of the occupation of Belgium during World War I, he became in charge of the NBB.

During the war Léon Van der Rest, was vice-president of the National Aid and Food Provision Committee, under Emile Francqui.

The immediate postwar period knew a rampant inflation and loss of value of the belgian franc.