Paul Otlet

Belgian author, librarian and anti-colonial thinker (1868–1944)
Person human Q1868
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Paul Otlet

Summary

Paul Otlet is a human[1]. He was born in Brussels[2]. He was born on +1868-08-23T00:00:00Z[3]. He died in Brussels[4]. He died on +1944-12-10T00:00:00Z[5]. He worked as a writer[6], lawyer[7], librarian[8], information scientist[9], and inventor[10]. He ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (45 views/month, #7,262 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Born in Brussels[2], Paul Otlet…
  • Paul Otlet passed away in Brussels[4].
  • Paul Otlet was born on +1868-08-23T00:00:00Z[3].
  • Paul Otlet died on +1944-12-10T00:00:00Z[5].
  • Burial took place at Etterbeek Cemetery[12].
  • Paul Otlet's father was Edouard Otlet[13].
  • Paul Otlet held citizenship in Belgium[14].
  • French was Paul Otlet's native language[15].
  • Paul Otlet's professions included writer[6].
  • Paul Otlet worked as a lawyer[7].
  • Paul Otlet's professions included librarian[8].
  • Paul Otlet's professions included information scientist[9].
  • Paul Otlet worked as an inventor[10].
  • Paul Otlet's professions included bibliographer[16].
  • Paul Otlet's field of work was bibliography[17].
  • Paul Otlet's field of work was computer science[18].
  • Paul Otlet's field of work was classification scheme[19].
  • Paul Otlet's field of work was information science[20].
  • Paul Otlet's education included a stint at Free University of Brussels[21].
  • Paul Otlet's education included a stint at Catholic University of Leuven[22].
  • Paul Otlet's education included a stint at Collège Saint-Michel[23].
  • A notable work attributed to Paul Otlet is Mundaneum[24].
  • A notable work attributed to Paul Otlet is Universal Decimal Classification[25].
  • Paul Otlet was a member of peace movement[26].
  • Paul Otlet was influenced by Henri La Fontaine[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Paul Otlet's place of birth was Brussels[2]. He was born on +1868-08-23T00:00:00Z[3]. His father was Edouard Otlet[13]. French was his native language[15].

Education

Educated at Free University of Brussels[21], a university[28], in Belgium[29], founded in 1834[30], headquartered in Brussels[31]; Catholic University of Leuven[22], a Catholic university[32], in Belgium[33], founded in 1834[34]; and Collège Saint-Michel[23], a Jesuit school[35], in Belgium[36], founded in 1905[37].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include writer[6], lawyer[7], librarian[8], information scientist[9], inventor[10], and bibliographer[16]. Fields of work include bibliography[17], an academic discipline[38]; computer science[18], an academic discipline[39]; classification scheme[19], a variable-order class[40]; and information science[20], an academic discipline[41].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Mundaneum[24], a museum[42], in Belgium[43], founded in 1920[44], headquartered in Mons[45] and Universal Decimal Classification[25], a universal classification scheme[46], founded in 1895[47]. Things named for Paul Otlet include Hôtel Otlet[48], a private mansion[49], in Belgium[50], founded in 1894[51] and Otlet Glacier[52], a glacier[53].

Death and Burial

Paul Otlet died on +1944-12-10T00:00:00Z[5]. He passed away in Brussels[4]. Burial took place at Etterbeek Cemetery[12].

Why It Matters

Paul Otlet ranks in the top 0.73% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (45 views/month, #7,262 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[54] He is known by 11 alternative names across languages and contexts.[55]

He has been cited as an influence by Douglas Engelbart[56], an inventor[57], 1925–2013[58], of United States[59], awarded the ACM Software System Award[60], specialised in informatics[61].

He is credited with the discovery of Universal Decimal Classification[62], a universal classification scheme[63], founded in 1895[64]. Works attributed to him include Traité de Documentation[65], a literary work[66], written by him[67]. Entities named for him include Hôtel Otlet[48], a private mansion[49], in Belgium[50], founded in 1894[51] and Otlet Glacier[52], a glacier[53].

FAQs

Where was Paul Otlet born?

Paul Otlet was born in Brussels[2].

Where did Paul Otlet die?

Paul Otlet passed away in Brussels[4].

Who were Paul Otlet's parents?

Paul Otlet's father was Edouard Otlet[13].

What did Paul Otlet do for work?

Paul Otlet worked as writer[6], lawyer[7], librarian[8], information scientist[9], and inventor[10].

Where did Paul Otlet go to school?

Paul Otlet was educated at Free University of Brussels[21], Catholic University of Leuven[22], and Collège Saint-Michel[23].

Who did Paul Otlet influence?

Paul Otlet has been cited as an influence by Douglas Engelbart[56].

What did Paul Otlet discover?

Paul Otlet is credited as discoverer of Universal Decimal Classification[62].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [13] . wikidata.org.
  4. [14] . RKDartists. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [21] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  6. [22] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  7. [23] . wikidata.org.
  8. [17] . wikidata.org.
  9. [18] . wikidata.org.
  10. [19] . wikidata.org.
  11. [20] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  12. [15] . wikidata.org.
  13. [6] . wikidata.org.
  14. [7] . Union List of Artist Names. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  15. [8] . wikidata.org.
  16. [9] . wikidata.org.
  17. [10] . wikidata.org.
  18. [16] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  19. [12] . wikidata.org.
  20. [26] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [3] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  22. [5] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  23. [27] . wikidata.org.
  24. [24] . wikidata.org.
  25. [25] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [56] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [62] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [65] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [48] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [52] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [54] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [55] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Paul Otlet. Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-otlet
MLA “Paul Otlet.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 9 Mar. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-otlet.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_paul-otlet_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Paul Otlet}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-otlet}, note = {Accessed: 2026-03-09}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Paul Otlet — https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-otlet (retrieved 2026-03-09)

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