• 21.02.1929 : born in Istanbul (Turquey). Secondary education (Graeco-Latin humanities) in Schaerbeek (Brussels).
• 1953 : doctorate in philosophy and literature (classical philology) at the Université libre de Bruxelles.
• 01.03.1957 : temporary librarian at the Royal Library of Belgium, Manuscripts Section.
• 01.01.1958 : permanent librarian-bibliographer.
• 01.04.1965 : first assistant.
• 01.03.1967 : chef de travaux.
• 01.01.1969 : curator of the Manuscripts Section, which he managed de facto since 01.10.1963.
• 01.06.1971 : departmental head.
• 01.05.1973 : interim head librarian of the Royal Library of Belgium.
• 01.06.1977 : head librarian.
• 31.08.1990 : retired.
• 1959-1989 : assistant and later junior lecturer at the Université libre de Bruxelles and at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel :
  Greek paleography (in French and in Dutch) and Latin paleography (in Dutch), at the department of classical philology.

Honorary member of the Association internationale de Bibliophilie. For the past fifty years, Martin Wittek has been dedicating his time and efforts to the essentially codicological study of Greek and Latin manuscripts from Antiquity to the Renaissance. Heavy administrative duties and a teaching commitment in two languages did not prevent him from continuing his scientific activities. In 1959, with the consent of François Masai, he created the Bulletin codicologique and assumed the editorial secretariat of Scriptorium from 1960 to 1965. He supervised the publication of Manuscrits datés conservés en Belgique, at first with François Masai and later on his own. At the same time, his contribution to the writing of notices, the correction of proofs and the preparation of plates became increasingly important. Once retired, he carried out research into medieval manuscript papers.