General Documentation

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society

Holding institution (official language):: Centre d’Études et de Documentation Guerre et Sociétés Contemporaines

Postal address:: Luchtvaartsquare 29 / Square de l’Aviation 29, 1070 Bruxelles (Anderlecht)

Phone number:: +32 (0)2 556 92 11

Web address:: http://www.cegesoma.be/

Email:: cegesoma@cegesoma.be

Reference number:: CHRDWConS-Brussels-AA 1417

Title:: General Documentation

Title (official language):: Algemene Documentatie

Creator/accumulator:: Auditoraat-Generaal [bij het Militair Gerechtshof]; Auditorat-Général [près la Cour Militaire]

Date(s):: 1930/1950

Extent:: 221 folders

Scope and content:: This fonds consists of so-called “various documentation”, confiscated from German organisations and collaboration movements in the framework of the post-war prosecution of these organisations by the Krijgsgerechten. They generally contain correspondence, lists, circulars, documentation etc. File no. 1/124 contains “documentation about the Jews”. File no. 1/137 concerns the extremely antisemitic press agency Werelddienst.

Administrative/biographical history:: Already in the Dutch period, the Krijgsauditoraat (Military Prosecutor’s Office)(1814-2003) operated as the military counterpart of the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecutor’s Office). After the independence of Belgium, the auditeur-generaal continued to represent the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Militair Gerechtshof (‘Military Court’)(as well as at the krijgsraden or court-martials, for a long time). The competences of the Auditoraat-Generaal were therefore similar to those of the civilian prosecutor’s offices, but adapted to military justice: among others, supervision of the general criminal and prosecution policy, supervision of the military prosecutor’s offices and court clerks, … The Auditoraat-Generaal was assisted by a First Advocate-General as well as several Advocates-General and substitutes. The services of the Auditoraat-Generaal comprised, besides a secretariat, library, logistics and personnel services also different sections competent in criminal matters, as well as an efficient documentation service. By virtue of the law of 10 April 2003, the Auditoraat-Generaal was abolished in peacetime. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken over its duties. After the Second World War, the Auditoraat-Generaal played an important role notably in identifying and prosecuting collaborators, and in documenting war crimes committed on Belgian territory. (R. Depoortere, La juridiction militaire en Belgique 1796-1998. Compétences et organisation, production et conservation des archives, Miscellanea Archivistica Studia no. 115, Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1999; K. Velle & P. Drossens, “De rechterlijke macht”, in P. van den Eeckhout & G. Vanthemsche (ed.), 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. 619-650.)

Access points: locations:: Belgium

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic publications; Correspondence; Holocaust; Holocaust--Collaboration; Post-WWII trials

Finding aids:: List AA 1417. There is also a contemporary list, titled “K – documentation générale”. The fonds is also described in the database of the CEGESOMA.

Links to finding aids:: http://pallas.cegesoma.be/pls/opac/plsp.getplsdoc?lan=N&htdoc=general/opac.htm

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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