Metadata: Biographical files
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Belgian Senate, Archives and Historiography Department
- Holding institution (official language):
- Belgische Senaat, Sectie Archivering en Historiografie
- Postal address:
- Paleis der Natie / Palais de la Nation, Leuvenseweg 7 / Rue de Louvain 7, 1009 Brussel
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 501 70 77
- Web address:
- http://www.senate.be/
- Email:
- archief@senate.be
- Reference number:
- BSenate-Brussels-
- Title:
- Biographical files
- Title (official language):
- Biografische dossiers
- Creator/accumulator:
- Parlementen; Parlements
- Date(s):
- 1831/2016
- Date note:
- Material continues to be added to this collection.
- Extent:
- ca. 50 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- The biographical files of Belgian senators contain, among others, the files of Sam Wiener, and of Jonathan and Ferdinand Bisschoffsheim. There are generally 3 types of (sub)files: one containing biographical information (and often photographs), one including an overview of the senatorial activity of the individual (such as submitted legislative proposals), and a third consisting of documentation (i.a. press clippings). These types of files sometimes also contain correspondence and other types of documents. The file of Sam Wiener, for example, contains documents related to his decease.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The first Belgian parliament (the Chamber of Representatives and Senate) was elected in August 1831. Before this date, the legislative power was at the hands of the Voorlopig Bewind (Interim Government) and the National Congress. The legislative power in Belgium is shared by the Chamber, the Senate and the King. In practice, legislative initiative is often taken by the government, which elaborates legislative proposals and submits them to Parliament for approval. One of the main tasks of Parliament is to scrutinise government policy. For this purpose, it has different means at its disposal, such as the power to approve or reject the budget, interpellations, oral and written questions, commissions of inquiry, processing of petitions submitted by citizens (petition right). A number of services carry out, among others, preparatory work for the plenary sessions (the Conference of Presidents for the Chamber and the Bureau for the Senate, respectively), facility management (College of Quaestors) and political decisions (parliamentary groups). Furthermore, a number of other rather technical bodies such as permanent and special commissions, commissions of inquiry, the parliamentary consultative committee, the ‘permanent departments’ (abolished in the 1980s). Following the successive constitutional reforms since the 1970s, a number of similar institutions were created for the regions and communities. Today, Belgium as a federal state counts six parliaments: the Federal Parliament (Chamber and Senate), the Vlaams Parlement, the Parlement wallon, the Parlement de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Parlement and the Parlament der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft. The role of the Senate was thoroughly redefined in the fourth constitutional reform (1993); since then it mainly serves as a ‘reflection chamber’. The Senate has the right to discuss and to amend bills (right to review), or to propose own bills to the Chamber. The archives of Federal Parliament and the different regional and community parliaments form a major primary source for historical research. The ‘parlementaire stukken’ (‘parliamentary documents’) for example indeed retrace the whole legislative procedure – from the introduction of a draft bill through discussions, commission reports, advisory opinions of the Council of State, and amendments to the final and adopted or rejected bill. The parliamentary proceedings (also known as ‘integrale verslagen’, ‘verbatim reports’) contain, among others, the full texts of the speeches and discussions in the plenary sessions, reports of discussions in the permanent departments, the outcome of votes. An increasing number of these (and other) series are made available online via the websites of the different parliaments. These general sources of course contain priceless information, for example regarding the organisation of the Jewish recognised religion, antisemitism, the refugee issue during the interwar period, the persecution of Jews during the Second World War, post-war commemoration initiatives, attacks against Jewish institutions, the legislation on Holocaust denial, laws on ritual, but for example also naturalisation applications by foreign Jews. (V. Laureys, “Het Belgisch Parlement en de wetgevende vergaderingen uit de “Franse” en “Hollandse tijd””, 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. 245-264.)
- Access points: locations:
- Belgium
- Access points: persons/families:
- Bisschoffsheim, Ferdinand
- Bisschoffsheim, J R
- Wiener, Sam
- System of arrangement:
- The files are ordered alphabetically.
- Access, restrictions:
- Files containing personal information are considered public after 30 years.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
