High Commission for State Safety

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: National Archives of Belgium

Holding institution (official language):: Archives Générales du Royaume

Postal address:: Ruisbroekstraat 2-6 / Rue de Ruysbroeck 2-6, 1000 Brussel

Phone number:: +32 (0)2 513 76 80

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

Email:: archives.generales@arch.be

Reference number:: NAB-Brussels-510-III.0222

Title:: High Commission for State Safety

Title (official language):: Haut Commissariat à la Sûreté de l’État

Creator/accumulator:: Veiligheid van de Staat; Sûreté de l’État

Date(s):: 1944/1946

Extent:: ca. 2.5 linear metres

Scope and content:: This fonds contains the outgoing letters of the Haut Commissariat à la Sécurité de l’État. Certain letters concern the complex legal status of Jews of German nationality who had not worn the yellow star during the war. Their status raised the question if they should be considered as enemies, refugees or otherwise.

Administrative/biographical history:: Since the independence of Belgium, keeping public order and ensuring the security of the State has been one of the missions of the Ministry of Justice. Initially, this task was carried out by the Openbare Veiligheid / Sûreté publique (Public Safety) in its successive forms. The Sûreté de l’État / Staatsveiligheid (State Security), a separate section within this administration, was created in the early 1930s as a civilian intelligence service. Until today, the service is supervised by the Ministry of Justice; only in 1940 and from 1945 to 1948 the service formed part of the Ministry of National Defence. In 1943, the exile government in London set up a Hoog Commissariaat voor ’s Lands Veiligheid with the aim of preparing the re-establishment of government authority after the Liberation, to coordinate the operations of the State Security in occupied Belgium, etc. Among the tasks of today’s State Security, which were not legally defined for a long time, are the protection of the (political, economic, scientific) interests and values of the state, the safeguarding of its internal and external security, but also the execution of protection missions, investigations with regard to security clearances, etc. The Comité I, set up in 1991, is the controlling body for the different intelligence services. (http://justitie.belgium.be/nl/overheidsdienst_justitie/organisatie/onafhankelijke_diensten_en_commissies/veiligheid_van_de_staat/; C. Vanderpelen-Diagre, “Haut Commissariat à la sécurité de l’État”, in P. ARON & J. Gotovitch, Dictionnaire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en Belgique, Brussel, André Versaille, 2008, pp. 223-224; K. Velle & K. Devolder, “De FOD Justitie”, 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. 325-350.)

Access points: locations:: Germany

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic measures; Holocaust; Holocaust--Yellow star; Legal status of Jews; Refugees

Access, restrictions:: Consultation of documents containing personal information requires the authorisation of the Algemeen Rijksarchivaris or his representative. This authorisation is granted on the basis of a research declaration signed by the researcher.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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