Metadata: General Documentation - Möbelaktion
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Directorate-General War Victims, Archives and Documentation Department
- Holding institution (official language):
- Direction Générale Victimes de la Guerre, Service Archives et Documentation
- Postal address:
- Luchtvaartsquare 31 / Square de l’Aviation 31, 1070 Brussel (Anderlecht)
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 528 91 57
- Web address:
- http://warvictims.fgov.be/
- Email:
- archidoc@minsoc.fed.be
- Reference number:
- DirGenWarVic-Brussels-
- Title:
- General Documentation - Möbelaktion
- Title (official language):
- Algemene Documentatie - Möbelaktion
- Creator/accumulator:
- Directie-Generaal Oorlogsslachtoffers; Direction Générale Victimes de la Guerre
- Date(s):
- 1920/1960
- Language:
- German
- French
- Extent:
- 12 binders, 3 boxes and 1 card index
- Scope and content:
-
In this description we will discuss the archival documents from the larger collection “Algemene Documentatie – Documentation Générale” (exclusively) related to the Möbelaktion in Belgium, and described in the sections “Möbelaktion” (material produced by the German occupation administration) and “Belgische firma’s en instanties betrokken bij Möbelaktion” (documents from various German and Belgian institutions and private organisations) of the inventory by Nefors (resp. nos. 1302-1312 and 1534-1539). The documents are mostly prints of microfilmed documents.
In the binder “Möbelaktion. Ordonnances non traduites” (1942-1944) (Nefors no. 1302) we note i.a. correspondence of the occupation administration concerning the Möbelaktion. French translations of this material can be found in the binder “Möbelaktion. Traductions” (1942-1944) (Nefors no. 1303). In r.123/tr.144.828 (1940-1944) we find 6 binders containing lists of persons living in the Brussels metropolitan area who were victims of the Möbelaktion. The same reference also holds 3 boxes titled “Doc AIVG. Listes d’adresses d’Israélites spoliés”. These lists are arranged by address (street) and then alphabetically. Lastly, R.497/tr.181.926 (1942-1963) contains (duplicates of) German forms, as well as an explanatory note concerning the transport of confiscated furniture in the Liège region. Belgische firma’s en instanties betrokken bij Möbelaktion: R.497/tr.159.069 – 159.978 (1942-1960) relates to the Möbelaktion in Brussels and Charleroi, and i.a. contains correspondence of the Ortskommandantur Brüssel and inventories of the firm Walon Frères S.A., notes of the firm Van Dyck, post-war documents and reports. In r.497/tr.159.069 (1942-1943) we find notes (incl. duplicates) of the firm Van Dyck about the Möbelaktion in Charleroi. R.497/tr.159.816 (1920-1960) consists of alphabetically arranged files (totalling 3 binders) of the Office des Propriétaires concerning Jews who were victims of the Möbelaktion. Lastly, we point out the card index (known as the Fichier Möbelaktion, totalling 10 boxes) containing records (fiches) related to this operation. They are ordered by municipality, and then alphabetically (by street). We mainly find addresses from Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Liège and a number of other towns and cities (i.a. Ostend, Arlon, various municipalities in Limburg). The provenance and date of creation of the various types of index cards are unclear to this day. They usually mention the date of confiscation, the address and the name of the owner.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The early predecessor of today’s Directie-Generaal Oorlogsslachtoffers / Direction Générale Victimes de la Guerre (DGVG)(Directorate-General War Victims) was the Belgisch Commissariaat voor de Repatriëring, created in late June 1944 with the aim of repatriating the many Belgian prisoners, forced labourers and refugees. In August 1945 the Commissariat (which was being liquidated) was integrated in the Ministry for War Victims, created in February of the same year. This ministry was charged with immediate assistance to Belgian war victims, but it was also responsible for their pensions, medical treatment etc. A number of new services – including a service for medical and pharmaceutical care and the Nationaal Werk voor Oud-Strijders – were added to the ministry in 1945. In April 1946, the duties and services of the Ministry for War Victims and the Ministry for War Damages were transferred to the newly created Ministry of Reconstruction. The Bestuur der Schade aan Personen (‘administration for damage to individuals’) of this ministry took over the competences related to war victims. The evaluation and granting of the status of ‘political prisoner’ was added to its duties. Its division into three main sections (statuses, pensions for civilian victims of the war, documentation) dates back to 1949. From 1946 until 1952 the Bestuur der Schade aan Personen almost continuously formed part of the Ministry of Reconstruction. Afterwards the Bestuursafdeling voor Oorlogsslachtoffers successively became a part of the Ministry of Public Health (1952-1995) and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and Environment (1995-2001). Since the division of this last ministry (2002), the Directorate-General War Victims belongs to the Federal Public Service (FPS) Social Security. Today, the DGVG has a dual mission. On the one hand, the execution of the law regarding civilian war victims, notably the granting of the various statuses of national recognition (e.g. political prisoner, hidden Jewish child, defaulter (werkweigeraar), fisherman in wartime) and processing of related pension applications. On the other hand, the DGVG manages its archives and documentation service. This voluminous body of documents is mainly the result of the field work of the Service de recherches en Belgique in the immediate post-war period – in particular the work carried out by its liaison officers and missions abroad. The personnel of the service often collaborated with a number of Jewish organisations, including Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre. (http://warvictims.fgov.be/nl/about/origine.htm; P. Nefors, Inventaris van het Archief van de Dienst voor de Oorlogsslachtoffers – Inventaire des Archives du Service des Victimes de la Guerre, Brussel, 1997.)
- Subject terms:
- Holocaust
- Nazism
- Nazism--Nazi parties and organisations
- Plunder
- Vital records
- Access, restrictions:
- The files can be consulted by the concerned individuals and their descendants. Consultation for research purposes is authorised on the basis of a research declaration.
- Finding aids:
- There is a thematic and geographic card index. There is also a (partially outdated) inventory: P. Nefors, Inventaris van het Archief van de Dienst voor de Oorlogsslachtoffers – Inventaire des Archives du Service des Victimes de la Guerre, Brussel, 1997.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium