Metadata: Secretariat of queen Elisabeth
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Archives of the Royal Palace
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archief Koninklijk Paleis
- Postal address:
- Hertogsstraat 2 / Rue Ducale 2, 1000 Brussel
- Phone number:
- +32 02 551 20 20
- Email:
- cap@kppr.be
- Reference number:
- ArRPalace-Brussels-
- Title:
- Secretariat of queen Elisabeth
- Title (official language):
- Secretariaat van koningin Elisabeth
- Creator/accumulator:
- Secretariaat van de Koning; Secrétariat du Roi
- Date(s):
- 1900/1965
- Extent:
- 98 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- Of interest in the voluminous archives of the secretariat of queen Elisabeth are firstly the series of correspondence (and other documents) concerning “steps taken by the queen in favour of Jews” during the Occupation – see the files no. 63 to 84. They consist of correspondence with Jews (1942-1949), ordered by family name, and other documents such as lists of aliens for which the interventions were without result (no. 84). We also note correspondence with the Vereniging der Joden in België (no. 64). The general series of correspondence undoubtedly also contains correspondence exchanged with Jewish individuals. In addition, we note in the series of ‘various correspondence’ files nos. 170 (i.a. related to Jewish children, subfile E14), 178 (i.a. concerning the Office israélite de Presse et de Documentation, subfile O15), 214 (“Jewish problems. Emigration of European Jews 1939-1940”) and 222 (“Jewish youth”). Furthermore, the fonds contains various large series of files. The series Audience contains a file on the audience of Mrs. Stadler-Errera (file no. S.6; years 1945-1957) and colonel Seligmann, director of the Institut cartographique militaire (no. S.15; 1925-1926). In the series Demandes diverses we note correspondence and other material related to various requests addressed to the queen (invitations, recommendations, various questions, …). We note files for i.a. the Association des amitiés belgo-israéliennes (no. A.193; years 1959-1962), B’nai B’rith (B.280; 1955), Council of Jewish Women (C.2; 1920), Centre national des hautes Études juives (C.494; 1963-1964), the choir Nashir (E.87; 1958-1961), the Jewish doctors and (candidate) refugees Haas (H.213; 1938-1940) and Kurt Hénius (H.222; 1939), the Jewish family Hinrichsen (H.229; 1940), les Amis du Magen David Adom (L.304; 1959), Solidarité juive (S.410; 1959-1963) and WIZO-Kinderkribben in Israël (W.243; 1959). The series Divers contains i.a. thank you letters from Jews to the queen for her interventions during the war (file A.11bis and C.489; resp. for 1944 and 1961), and files concerning i.a. a manifestation of the Conseil des Associations juives de Belgique at which the queen was present (A.172; 1946-1947), the speech of Léon Kubowitzki at the Jewish World Congress (C.37bis; 1945), the Comité du Monument aux Victimes juives (C.348; 1947), the Comité international d’Auschwitz (C.462; 1958-1965) and the Comité anversois pour la Défense des Droits des Juifs (D.171; 1933). The series Invitations contains files on i.a. the Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium (C.184) and the Colonie scolaire israélite in Middelkerke (C.94). In the series Patronages we note files on the following organisations: les Amis belges de l’Alyah des Jeunes (A.43; 1946-1965), Comité international pour la création en Palestine d’une fôret à la mémoire du Roi Albert (Fonds National juif)(C.71; 1935-1936), Fonds Jacques Ochs (F.1; 1937), Maison de Retraite pour Vieillards “Heureux Séjour” (M.16; 1948-1963) and Érection du tombeau du martyr juif inconnu (T.9; 1952-1956). The series Subsides contains files on i.a. Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre (A.51; 1945-1959), Comité féminin de l’ORT (C.92; 1947-1951), Œuvre d’assistance aux enfants juifs réfugiés (O.58; 1939) and the ‘adoption’, by Belgium, of the city of Nazareth in Palestine (V.4; 1948). The series Peintres includes files on, among others, exhibitions of the art of Jacques Ochs (O.8; 1954-1961) and Arno Stern (S.7; 1938). Lastly, we mention the file concerning the Centrale d’œuvres sociales juives (C.36bis; 1955-1961) from the series Photographies. Relevant material on Jewish individuals or organisations is probably also found in the other series of the fonds – Aviculture, Concerts, Décorations, Divers A-Z, Marrainages, Médailles, Particuliers, RH, Secours, Secours I, Secrétariat RE II and/or Vœux de Noël et de Nouvel An. These series are for the time being only accessible through detailed card indexes, ordered alphabetically by name.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The tasks of the Sécrétariat du Roi / Secretariaat van de Koning (1909-1924, 1934-1951) exceeded those of a mere private secretariat and were often similar to those of the cabinet of the King. Under the reign of Albert I, the secretariat (led by Max-Léo Gerard) primarily took care of financial, economic and business-related matters. During the (active) reign of Leopold III, secretary Robert Capelle kept in touch with the ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stayed informed about government negotiations and crises. From 1945 to 1950, secretary Jacques Pirenne held this function. The Queen generally had her own secretariat coordinating Her Majesty’s various occupations – mainly in the social, humanitarian and cultural field. Her secretary also directly supervised the secretariat’s Social Service. This service, set up by queen Elisabeth, assisted citizens seeking justice or some form of relief, and sometimes even provided material support. (G. Janssens, “De medewerkers van het Staatshoofd in België: taken en archief (1831-2011)”, in Museum Dynasticum, no. 2, 2011, pp. 49-61; G. Janssens, “Het Staatshoofd”, in P. van den Eeckhout & G. Vanthemsche, 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. 266-295.)
- Access points: locations:
- Belgium
- Access points: persons/families:
- Elisabeth of Belgium
- Stadler-Errera, Mrs
- Finding aids:
- Unpublished inventories: G. Janssens, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth. Inventaris van de reeks “Peintres – Schilders”, 2003; S. Daudergnies, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth, Section “Patronages”, Inventaire des dossiers., s.d.; S. Daudergnies, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth, Section “Photographies”, s.d.; S. Daudergnies, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth, Section “Subsides”, s.d.; Archives du Sécrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth. Section “demandes diverses”, s.d.; S. Daudergnies, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth. Série “Divers”. Liste d’archives., 2013; S. Daudergnies, Archives du Secrétariat de la Reine Elisabeth. Section “Audience”, s.d. Card indexes exist for the other series of the fonds.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
