Office of Mutual Aid

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: National Archives of Belgium 2 – Joseph Cuvelier Repository

Holding institution (official language):: Archives Générales du Royaume 2 – Dépôt Joseph Cuvelier

Postal address:: Hopstraat 26-28 / Rue du Houblon 26-28, 1000 Bruxelles

Phone number:: +32 (0)2 274 15 00

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

Email:: agr_ar_2@arch.be

Reference number:: NAB2-Brussels-545-464

Title:: Office of Mutual Aid

Title (official language):: Dienst voor Onderlinge Hulpverlening (OMA)

Creator/accumulator:: Office of Mutual Aid; Dienst voor Onderlinge Hulpverlening; Office d’Aide Mutuelle

Date(s):: 1945/1967

Language:: English; French; Dutch; Flemish

Extent:: ca. 470 linear metres

Scope and content:: This fonds is of particular relevance to the immediate post-war period. It consists of two parts: a sizeable series of mainly individual files of the Verzoeningsdienst / Service de Conciliation, and a second part (ca. 30 linear metres) for which no finding aid existed at the time of writing. The individual files especially are of importance. They are mainly ordered alphabetically, by name of the claimant (individual, business, institution), and relate to claims for compensation – for example, in the context of the requisitioning of vehicles, buildings and other assets, or the quartering of Allied troops. The files consist of correspondence with OMA, documents relating to the financial and administrative processing of the case (forms, attestations, supporting documents), but also interesting reports by experts (of the damage sustained, lists of possessions and furniture), correspondence and various forms of the American/British military authorities. Box 731 for example contains a file in the name of Rodolphe Bloch relating to the requisitioning of (and the quartering of English troops in) the famous Patisserie Bloch in Ghent and the subsequent process of derequisitioning and compensation. Some files contain information on furniture and movable goods stolen by the occupier or concern requests, by Jewish survivors, for the release of their home requisitioned by Allied troops. Lastly, the unarranged part of this fonds contains, among others, correspondence with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee concerning the payment of the transport costs of shiploads of relief supplies to Belgium (1947).

Administrative/biographical history:: The Dienst voor Onderlinge Hulpverlening / Office d’Aide Mutuelle (Office of Mutual Aid) was created by legislative order of 19 January 1945, in the context of the implementation of the Lend lease (1942, 1943) and Mutual Aid (1944) agreements concluded between Belgium and respectively the United States and the United Kingdom. The OMA was, among others, charged with providing goods and services within the framework of these agreements, of dealing with potential claims and of liquidating surplus stocks of the US Army. Compensations for damage caused by the US or UK military (following requisitioning, quartering of troops) were paid through by its Verzoeningsdienst (‘Reconciliation Service’). The liquidation of OMA lasted from 1949 until 1961. (J.-M. Yante & P.-A. Tallier (dir.), F. Plisnier, S. Carnel, G. Coppieters & V. Pirlot, Gids van de instellingen van openbaar nut in België. Deel II. Band 2. Notities van de parastatalen onderworpen aan de wet van 16 maart 1954 en van diegene die daarvoor afgeschaft werden (notities 160 à 290), Guides/Gidsen no. 70, Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2008, pp. 832-837.)

Access points: locations:: Ghent

Access points: persons/families:: Bloch, Rodolphe

Subject terms:: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; Holocaust; Holocaust--Survivors; Nazism; Nazism--Nazi parties and organisations; Plunder; Restitution and compensation

Access, restrictions:: Access requires the authorisation of the Administrateur-Generaal of the Patrimoniumdocumentatie (FPS Finance).

Finding aids:: There is an unpublished list of the files of the Verzoeningsdienst / Service de Conciliation.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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