Société Anonyme de la Presse Libérale Gantoise

Collection description

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

Scope and content:: In this fonds we firstly note the series of correspondence files, in which we find the file no. 542 titled “Israëlieten” (Jews), consisting of correspondence (dated 1945) with the Ghent section of the organisation Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre. We also find correspondence with a number of Jewish journalists and freelancers, as well as documents (ordered by family name of the author) related to articles written by them and published in La Flandre Libérale, with mention of the section, title, signature and date of publication in the newspaper.

Administrative/biographical history:: The liberal and anticlerical periodical La Flandre Libérale was created in Ghent in 1874. Its founders, the Callier brothers, remained the owners of the newspaper until 1894; afterwards it was managed by the SA La Presse Libérale Gantoise. On 1 January 1960, the operation and management of the newspaper – printed in Antwerp since then – was taken over by the SA Belge d’Édition (SABED; publisher of i.a. Le Matin). From 1 October 1965 SABED and La Nouvelle Presse Anversoise (publisher of La Métropole) were equally represented in the newly established SA Belge d’Édition, de Diffusion et de Publicité. This group had its headquarters in Antwerp, with a branch in Ghent; the newspapers themselves were printed in Brussels, from 1968. The offices of the editorial staff of the three newspapers (La Flandre Libérale, La Métropole, Le Matin) were located in Brussels, the advertising services and regional editors in Ghent and Antwerp. From 1 January 1966 the newspapers were united at the national level, regarding publicity and editorial policy. La Flandre Libérale was no longer published after 1 July 1974. (J. Verschaeren, Inventaris van het archief van het dagblad “La Flandre Libérale”, I 2 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1978.)

Subject terms:: Aid and relief; Correspondence; Jewish press; Printing; Professions; Professions--Journalists; Publishing

Finding aids:: J. Verschaeren, Inventaris van het archief van het dagblad “La Flandre Libérale”, I 2 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1978.