Léo Lejeune archives

Collection description

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)

Scope and content:: We firstly mention the text La situation des Juifs en Belgique sous l’occupation (in file no. 44), used in redacting the Guldenboek van de Belgische Weerstand. In addition, this fonds contains a number of unique clandestine leaflets and cartoons relevant for this guide. Nr. 459 contains the text Les origins juives de Degrelle. In no. 532 we note the pamphlet Défense des Juifs, distributed by the communist resistance. Nos. 606-621 contains leaflets, brochures and other propaganda material published by the German occupier or ‘New Order’ organisations, often with an ardent antisemitic content. See i.a. nos. 612 (Professor Isaak Pierlotski), no. 613 (related to the defence against “Jewish domination” by national socialism), no. 614 (various antisemitic publications) and no. 621 (including a poster from DeVlag concerning the “Jewish conspiracy against Europe”).

Administrative/biographical history:: At age 18, Léo Lejeune (1896-1959) volunteered for the Force Publique in the Belgian Congo at the outbreak of the First World War. Following his return to Belgium he became a journalist for the colonial press (i.a. l’Essor Colonial et Maritime and l’Expansion Coloniale). From 1935 Lejeune lectured at the École Coloniale and was a member of the board of both the Associations des Écrivains et Artistes Coloniaux and the Association de la Presse Coloniale belge. He experienced the ‘18 Days’ Campaign’ as a soldier and after the capitulation he helped rescue prisoners of war, Jews and escaped political prisoners. Lejeune was involved in the resistance organisation Mouvement National Belge (MNB), i.a. in its clandestine press. After resigning from the army, he devoted the rest of his life to the memory of the war veterans and resistance fighters and the defence of their rights. Léo Lejeune was a member of the Historical Commission of the Resistance. He co-authored the Guldenboek van de Belgische Weerstand (1948) in addition to writing various historical studies on the Belgian resistance and the clandestine press. (J. Gotovitch, Fonds Léo Lejeune, inventarissen 1, Brussel, CEGESOMA, 1971.)

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic propaganda; Antisemitism--Antisemitic publications; Historical research; Jewish self-defence and resistance

Finding aids:: J. Gotovitch, Fonds Léo Lejeune, inventarissen 1, Brussel, CEGESOMA, 1971.