Cabinet of king Leopold III. General section.

Collection description

Web address:: http://www.arch.be/index.php?l=nl&m=praktische-info&r=onze-leeszalen&d=koninklijk-paleis

Title (official language):: Kabinet van koning Leopold III. Algemeen gedeelte.

Scope and content:: The archive of the cabinet of king Leopold III contains files concerning requests for intervention of the King regards to Jews – see files 172, 231 and 274. We also find correspondence with citizens asking the King for an intervention because they were arrested or imprisoned by the Germans; there are likely Jewish citizens among them. Finally we note pieces concerning the intergovernmental conference concerning the (mostly Jewish) refugee question in Evian in 1938 – see files 1382 and 1383.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Cabinet of the King (1831 – present) is responsible for administrative and political matters and entertains the contacts between the King and the Belgian government, as well as with Belgian society in general. The Cabinet follows up on developments in various areas and reports to the King. A logical consequence of this is the close cooperation with the Cabinet and other services of the Prime Minister and (until the creation of a Department for Foreign Affairs, in 2006) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The tasks of the Head of the Cabinet are not explicitly stated. He is appointed by the King and as such it is very much a confidential function. The Head of the Cabinet is supported by a legal advisor, a press advisor (since 1953), and the archivist of the Royal Palace (since 1962). (G. Janssens, “Het Staatshoofd”, in P. van den Eeckhout & G. Vanthemsche, Bronnen voor de studie van het hedendaagse België 19e – 21e eeuw. Tweede herziene en uitgebreide uitgave. Brussel, Koninklijke Commissie voor Geschiedenis / Commission Royale d’Histoire, 2009, pp. 266-295.)