View source for Hergé

=== First marriage ===

At the offices of {{Lang|fr|Le Petit Vingtième}} in 1928, Hergé met the woman who would become his first wife, Germaine Kieckens (1906&nbsp;– 26 October 1995). A redhead described by Pierre Assouline as "elegant and popular", she had obtained work as the secretary for Norbert Wallez.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}} At the time of her birth, her parents were relatively elderly and, having lost an earlier child, they were particularly overprotective of her.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=348}} Greatly admiring Wallez, whom she looked up to as a [[father figure]], she adopted his [[fascism|fascist]] political beliefs.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}} She was appointed editor of {{Lang|fr|Votre Vingtième, Madame}}, a supplement for women for which Hergé sometimes drew the cover.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=48}} She also began writing articles for {{Lang|fr|Le Petit Vingtième}} using the pseudonym Tantine.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=48}} The first 500 copies of ''[[Tintin in the Land of the Soviets]]'' were numbered and signed by Hergé using Tintin's signature, with Snowy's paw print being drawn next to it by Kieckens.{{Sfnm|1a1=Peeters|1y=1989|1p=27|2a1=Lofficier|2a2=Lofficier|2y=2002|2p=21|3a1=Peeters|3y=2012|3p=41}}{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}}

In 1930, Hergé escorted her home from work almost every night, though she expressed little romantic interest in him at the time. Instead she desired an older, or more mature man, such as the Abbé himself.{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}}{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=48}} Wallez however encouraged the two to enter into a relationship,{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}} and one evening at the Taverne du Palace she indicated to Hergé that she would be interested in a relationship.{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=48}}

On 20 July 1932, Hergé and Kieckens were married; although neither of them was entirely happy with the union, they had been encouraged to do so by Wallez, who insisted that all his single staff married and who personally carried out the wedding ceremony at the [[Saint-Roch Church]] in [[Laeken]].{{Sfn|Assouline|2009|p=33}}{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=48}}{{Sfnm|1a1=Assouline|1y=2009|1pp=33–34|2a1=Peeters|2y=2012|2pp=47–48}} Spending their honeymoon in [[Vianden]], [[Luxembourg]], the couple moved into an apartment in the rue Knapen, [[Schaerbeek]].{{Sfn|Peeters|2012|p=58}}