Jean Terfve archives

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: Centre for Communist Archives in Belgium

Holding institution (official language):: Centre des Archives communistes en Belgique

Postal address:: Kazernestraat 33 / Rue de la Caserne 33, 1000 Brussel

Phone number:: +32 (0)2 513 61 99

Web address:: www.carcob.eu

Reference number:: CComAr-Brussels-TER.J

Title:: Jean Terfve archives

Title (official language):: Fonds Jean Terfve

Creator/accumulator:: Terfve, Jean

Date(s):: 1931/1978

Extent:: 87 boxes

Scope and content:: We firstly note a number of files related to congresses on international politics, peace and peaceful coexistence. File no. 52/04 contains notes by Terfve concerning “Groupe sioniste: conference débat” (1957). File no. 73/07 consists of notes of contributions by Terfve, of correspondence and leaflets concerning the debate Conditions et perspectives de paix au Moyen-Orient organised by la Tribune Libre Universitaire and the Union des Étudiants juifs de Belgique (1968). In file no. 73/08 we also find notes of Terfve’s contributions, related to the conference La gauche belge face au problème de la paix au Moyen-Orient, organised by the Union des Étudiants juifs de Belgique (1968). Lastly we point out file no. 54/12, containing notes by Terfve for the cérémonie d’hommage on behalf of the Jewish resistance fighters of Belgium (1970).

Administrative/biographical history:: Jean Terfve (1907-1978), born in a middle-class family from Liège, was a communist politician. He held a PhD in law and became a lawyer. As a Freemason Terfve was attached to the lodge Hiram. In 1933 he joined the communist party. His wife Andrée Legros was also active within the Party from 1939 and later in the resistance. During the Occupation, Terfve became one of the major Belgian resistance leaders. He created the clandestine periodical L’Espoir, but would become, after his arrest and escape in 1941, one of the principal figures of the Front de l’Indépendance – Onafhankelijkheidsfront (which he helped create). Terfve was responsible for the Hainaut province (1942) and later all provinces in Wallonia except Liège (1943). In 1943 Terfve became national commander of the Gewapende Partizanen – Partisans Armés and as such was included in the Central Committee and national direction of the communist party. After the Liberation, Terfve held the function of Minister of Reconstruction (1946-1947) in the Van Acker government. He was also a member of parliament (1944-1958) and senator (1965-1968). Jean Terfve remained an influential figure within the communist party, i.a. in its internal training program. He would later play a role in the Mouvement Populaire Wallon of André Renard. (Terfve Jean, biographical note on the CArCoB website, see http://www.carcob.eu/Avocat-chef-partisan-depute (last accessed on the 26th of November 2014); Y.-W. Delzenne & Houyoux J. (dir.), Le nouveau dictionnaire des Belges, Brussel, Le Cri, 1998, vol. 2, p. 249)

Access points: locations:: Liege

Access points: persons/families:: Terfve, Jean

Subject terms:: Arab-Israeli conflict; Commemoration; Communism; Communism--Communists; Education; Education--Student organisations; Jewish self-defence and resistance; Zionism

Finding aids:: M. Gautier & M.-F. Hanon, Inventaire du Fonds Jean Terfve, Brussel, Éditions du CArCoB, 2009.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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