Metadata: Textielcentrale
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- National Archives of Belgium
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archives Générales du Royaume
- Postal address:
- Ruisbroekstraat 2-6 / Rue de Ruysbroeck 2-6, 1000 Brussel
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 513 76 80
- Web address:
- http://www.arch.be/
- Email:
- archives.generales@arch.be
- Reference number:
- NAB-Brussels-510-2191
- Title:
- Textielcentrale
- Title (official language):
- Textielcentrale
- Creator/accumulator:
- Warencentrale Textiel; Office central du Textile
- Date(s):
- 1941/1945
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- German
- Extent:
- 36 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- In this fonds, for which no finding aid exists at the time of writing, we note material related to the policy of the occupier towards ‘Jewish businesses’ during the Second World War. We find i.a. correspondence of such companies, who were required to give a detailed overview of their inventory.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The creation of the Warencentrale Textiel / Office central du Textile (Textielcentrale in short) in June-August 1940 was a consequence of the occupier’s corporatist reform of the Belgian economy. The Textielcentrale supervised the production and distribution of textile goods, and became one of the most important Warencentrales. Belgium was an important producer of flax and synthetic fibre – strategic but scarce raw materials for the German war economy. As was the general rule, 30% of production was reserved for the Belgian market, while the remaining 70% was intended for the German war machine. During the war the Textielcentrale, managed by Belgian collaborators, would become an obedient instrument in the hands of the occupier. Relevant for this guide is the involvement of the Textielcentrale in the ‘dejudaisation’ (‘Aryanization’) and spoliation of the Belgian textile industry. Through the professional organisation SA Textile Corporation, based in Kortrijk, the stocks of liquidated ‘Jewish businesses’ were acquired, rated, redistributed and shipped. The proceeds were deposited on a blocked account of the infamous spoliation bank Société Française de Banque et de Dépôts or, in the case of smaller sums, transferred to the unfortunate business owners. (Studiecommissie betreffende het lot van de bezittingen van de leden van de Joodse gemeenschap van België, geplunderd of achtergelaten tijdens de oorlog 1940-1945, De bezittingen van de slachtoffers van de Jodenvervolging in België: spoliatie, rechtsherstel, bevindingen van de Studiecommissie., Brussel, Diensten van de Eerste Minister, 2001, p. 81-85; P. Nefors, Industriële collaboratie in België. De Galopindoctrine, de Emissiebank en de Belgische industrie, Leuven, Van Halewyck, 2000, pp. 80-83; R. van Doorslaer, E. Debruyne, F. Seberechts & N. Wouters (ed.), Gewillig België. Overheid en Jodenvervolging tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog., Antwerpen/Brussel, Meulenhoff/Manteau en SOMA, 2007, pp. 422-423.)
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
