Papers of Paul Van Zeeland

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: Study Centre for the History of Contemporary Europe

Holding institution (official language):: Centre d’Étude de l’Histoire de l’Europe contemporaine

Postal address:: Service des Archives de l’Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Montesquieu 3, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve

Phone number:: +32 (0)10 47 48 84

Web address:: http://www.uclouvain.be/cehec.html

Reference number:: SCHConEu-Louvain-la-N-P.v.Z.

Title:: Papers of Paul Van Zeeland

Title (official language):: Papiers de Paul Van Zeeland

Creator/accumulator:: Van Zeeland, Paul

Date(s):: 1917/1973

Language:: Dutch; Flemish; French; English; German

Extent:: 75 linear metres

Scope and content:: In this fonds, the documents related to the Coordinating Foundation for the Relief of Refugees are of particular interest – see files no. 898-907. They mainly consist of general types of documents such as correspondence (of the secretariat), reports and notes, minutes of meetings, bookkeeping documents, statutes etc. covering the years 1939-1947. We note, for example, file no. 906 which contains reports on the situation of Jewish refugees in various European countries (dated 1939).

Administrative/biographical history:: Paul Van Zeeland (1893-1973) was a Catholic politician and businessman. He held a PhD in law and political and diplomatic science and also graduated from Princeton with a degree in economics. Van Zeeland started his career as lecturer at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (1925-1935). He soon held functions at the National Bank of Belgium, first as director (1926), later as governor (1934-1935). As a member of parliament Van Zeeland represented Brussels (1937-1939); he was also a co-opted senator (1946-1956). He held several ministerial posts during his political career, such as Minister without portfolio (1934) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (1935-1936, 1949-1954). Van Zeeland was appointed Minister of State in 1948. In 1939 he moved to New York to become the chairman, at the request of president Roosevelt, of the Coordinating Foundation for Refugees. Van Zeeland also led, from 1941 onwards, the Commission belge pour l’Étude des Problèmes d’Après-Guerre (CEPAG). After the Second World War Van Zeeland became a committed proponent of European integration i.a. as the signatory for Belgium of the ECSC treaty and president of the OEEC (predecessor of the OECD). In addition, Van Zeeland represented Belgium within NATO and the General Assembly of the UN. In 1956 he left politics and became a businessman, i.a. as administrator of the Bank van Brussel (1956-1973) and as president of the Banque belge d’Afrique (1956-1971). Van Zeeland was awarded the title of viscount in 1963. (“Paul Van Zeeland (1893-1973)”, in ODIS - Database Intermediary Structures Flanders (accessible on http://www.odis.be); S. Dubois, Inventaire des papiers de Paul van Zeeland (1893-1973), Louvain-la-Neuve, UCL.))

Access points: persons/families:: Van Zeeland, Paul

Subject terms:: Aid and relief; Financial records; Refugees; World War II

Access, restrictions:: Researchers need to fill in a request for consultation – see the form on http://www.uclouvain.be/97024.html.

Finding aids:: S. Dubois, Inventaire des papiers de Paul van Zeeland (1893-1973), Louvain-la-Neuve, UCL.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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