Metadata: PK Antwerp 2003 B
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- State Archives in Beveren
- Holding institution (official language):
- Rijksarchief te Beveren
- Postal address:
- Kruibekesteenweg 39/1, 9120 Beveren
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)3 750 29 77
- Email:
- rijksarchief.beveren@arch.be
- Reference number:
- SAB-Beveren-512-R444
- Title:
- PK Antwerp 2003 B
- Title (official language):
- PK Antwerpen 2003 B
- Creator/accumulator:
- Gerechtelijke politie bij het parket van de Procureur des Konings; Police judiciaire près le parquet du Procureur du Roi
- Date(s):
- 1915/2000
- Extent:
- 37.74 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- The best known (and relevant) files in this fonds are nos. 161-162, the so-called “register of Jews” (Jodenregister) of Antwerp (probably a copy). They form a list of ca. 11,250 individuals inscribed in this register, containing their family name, first name, profession, address, birth place and birth date. In addition, the fonds also contains the rollen of the ‘German section’ of the prison of Antwerp (nos. 256-259; dated 1941-1944). They contain information on individuals arrested by services such as the Geheime Feldpolizei, the Sicherheitspolizei etc. The fonds also contains a very interesting series of research and sepo (closure of the case without further action) files – we especially point out nos. 407-415 concerning “Bolshevism and communism” (1919-1940), in which we find useful information on these movements within the Jewish community. Information concerning political movements active in the Jewish communities in Antwerp can in all probability also be found in nos. 390-406 (documentation on “various movements and associations”, 1966-1970), 416-417 (“files concerning socialism and the socialist movement”, 1920-1939) and elsewhere. Lastly we mention the files “concerning collaboration organisations” (1944-1949) (files nos. 555-604), including general and individual files on Robert Van der Heyden, responsible of the Arbeidsambt Antwerpen for the forced labour of Jews (no. 559), the Organisation Todt (nos. 587-588) and the Wachgruppe Nordland (nos. 590-604), which contains a subfile (no. 599) on the Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The gerechtelijke politie (GPP) / police judiciaire (PJP) (‘judicial police’) was created in 1919. Although propositions to create an autonomous judicial police had been made since the late 19th century, the project only gained widespread political support after the First World War, with the high crime rate during the Occupation having certainly played a role. The judicial police was under the authority and supervision of the procureurs-generaal, and was led by the procureurs des Konings of the different jurisdictions. The Commissariat Général / Commissariaat-Generaal (General Commissioner’s Office) was set up in 1936; it was in charge of the national coordination of the different brigades and of centralising information. The main decision-taking and advisory body was the Comité tot regeling van de Gerechtelijke Politie (set up in 1927), to which an advisory committee was added in 1949 in order to counterbalance the power of the judiciary. Another related body is the Nationaal Instituut voor Criminalistiek en Criminologie (whose predecessor was created in 1920). The judicial police of Brussels was by far the largest department (almost half of the total corps) and often operated in jurisdictions other than its own, due to the central role of the capital, the presence of particular forms of crime and the policy of centralisation of information from foreign and national agencies in Brussels. During the Second World War, the corps continued to function under the authority of secretary-general Gaston Schuind; due to the structurally understaffed police services of the occupier, Belgian judicial police officers were regularly called in. The corps was reinforced after the Liberation, out of fear of the left-wing of the resistance. The service remained virtually unchanged until the police reforms of 2001, when it was replaced by the Federal Police. The service had mainly repressive tasks: it investigated criminal activity, gathered evidence and brought offenders before the courts. In addition it also monitored all kinds of political groups that potentially posed a threat to public security. (C. Martens, Inventaris van het archief van de gerechtelijke politie bij het parket van de procureur des Konings van Brussel (1921-1976), Bruxelles, ARA-AGR.)
- Access points: locations:
- Antwerp
- Access points: persons/families:
- Van der Heyden, Robert
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation of documents less than 100 years old requires the authorisation of the Procureur-Generaal bij het Hof van Beroep of Antwerp, or the Procureur des Konings bij het parket of Antwerp.
- Finding aids:
- K. Velle, “Inventaris van het archief van het parket van de procureur des Konings te Antwerpen. Tweede overdracht 2003”, in K. Velle & P. Drossens, Inventaris van het archief van het parket van de procureur des Konings te Antwerpen. Diverse overdrachten, I 149 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2006, pp. 195-231.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
