Metadata: Archives of the criminal investigation against von Falkenhausen and Reeder
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- 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)
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 556 92 11
- Web address:
- http://www.cegesoma.be/
- Email:
- cegesoma@cegesoma.be
- Reference number:
- CHRDWConS-Brussels-AA 2143
- Title:
- Archives of the criminal investigation against von Falkenhausen and Reeder
- Title (official language):
- Archief van het gerechtelijk onderzoek tegen von Falkenhausen en Reeder
- Creator/accumulator:
- Auditoraat-Generaal [bij het Militair Gerechtshof]; Auditorat-Général [près la Cour Militaire]
- Date(s):
- 1936/1951
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- German
- Extent:
- 5 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds (a digital copy) contains administrative documents (dated 1936-1951) related to the actual criminal investigation against von Falkenhausen and Reeder. It consists of three different sub-fonds: one sub-fonds concerning the criminal investigation against von Falkenhausen and Reeder by the Krijgsauditoraat in Liège (ca. 4 l.m.), concerning the trial against von Falkenhausen, Reeder, Bertram and von Claer before the Krijgshof in Brussels (ca. 0,75 l.m.) and concerning the appeal before the Krijgshof in Brussels (a handful of folders). Many of these documents are evidently relevant for this guide, because they relate to the persecution of the Jews during the Occupation. Of interest are certainly the protocols of the interrogations of the individuals responsible and their collaborators, dating from the years 1948-1950. See i.a. the interrogations of Constantin Canaris (no. 804), Eggert Reeder (nos. 1871, 2761, 2772), Friedrich Wimmer (nos. 2174 en 2175), Wilhelm von Hahn (nos. 2461 - 2463), Johannes Düntze (no. 2665) and Alexander von Falkenhausen (no. 2730). We also find original documents, such as correspondence, reports, circulars, notes etc. often provided with a certified translation. Nearly all documents related to research actions from the period 17-24 March 1950 contain information on the organisation of the persecution of the Jews in Belgium; see nos. 2730 - 2763 (1941-1950). See also the material produced by the Gruppe VII Fürsorge, concerning the ‘Jewish ordinances (nos. 2829-2833) and the implementation of the anti-Jewish measures (nos. 2834-2839), dated 1940-1949. Lastly, we also mention a report related to the translation of documents concerning the deportation of Jews, transferred by the defence.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Already in the Dutch period, the Krijgsauditoraat (Military Prosecutor’s Office)(1814-2003) operated as the military counterpart of the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecutor’s Office). After the independence of Belgium, the auditeur-generaal continued to represent the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Militair Gerechtshof (‘Military Court’)(as well as at the krijgsraden or court-martials, for a long time). The competences of the Auditoraat-Generaal were therefore similar to those of the civilian prosecutor’s offices, but adapted to military justice: among others, supervision of the general criminal and prosecution policy, supervision of the military prosecutor’s offices and court clerks, … The Auditoraat-Generaal was assisted by a First Advocate-General as well as several Advocates-General and substitutes. The services of the Auditoraat-Generaal comprised, besides a secretariat, library, logistics and personnel services also different sections competent in criminal matters, as well as an efficient documentation service. By virtue of the law of 10 April 2003, the Auditoraat-Generaal was abolished in peacetime. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken over its duties. After the Second World War, the Auditoraat-Generaal played an important role notably in identifying and prosecuting collaborators, and in documenting war crimes committed on Belgian territory. (R. Depoortere, La juridiction militaire en Belgique 1796-1998. Compétences et organisation, production et conservation des archives, Miscellanea Archivistica Studia no. 115, Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1999; K. Velle & P. Drossens, “De rechterlijke macht”, in P. van den Eeckhout & G. Vanthemsche (ed.), 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. 619-650.)
- Access points: persons/families:
- Canaris, Karl Constantin
- Düntze, Johannes
- Reeder, Eggert
- von Falkenhausen, Alexander
- von Hahn, Wilhelm
- Wimmer, Friedrich
- Access, restrictions:
- The documents can only be consulted on the computers in the CEGESOMA reading room.
- Finding aids:
- An EAD-generated inventory is available on application.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
