Metadata: High Commission for State Security
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-510-2187
- Title:
- High Commission for State Security
- Title (official language):
- Haut Commissariat à la Sécurité de l’État
- Creator/accumulator:
- Veiligheid van de Staat; Sûreté de l’État
- Date(s):
- 1943/1946
- Extent:
- 22 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds is rich in material. We notably point out the following series and sub-fonds: (from the 1st inventory): Commission du Rapatriement; Public Education; Mouvements de résistance en Belgique occupée including the Front de l’Indépendance, the ‘defaulters’ and the communist party; (from the 2nd inventory): ‘miscellaneous’, no. 702; “Jews – regrouping of deportees”; Individual Files; Situation in the interior of the country (notably including documents regarding the ‘purges’ (épuration), collaboration, clandestine activities, economic collaboration, sequestration etc.); Internment; Internment centres; Reaction against collaborators and releases of ‘incivics’; Aliens – activities of aliens; War Crimes; Politics – various movements, manifestations, leaflets, meetings, posters; Displaced Persons camps; (from the 3rd inventory): Police; Collaboration movements.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Since the independence of Belgium, keeping public order and ensuring the security of the State has been one of the missions of the Ministry of Justice. Initially, this task was carried out by the Openbare Veiligheid / Sûreté publique (Public Safety) in its successive forms. The Sûreté de l’État / Staatsveiligheid (State Security), a separate section within this administration, was created in the early 1930s as a civilian intelligence service. Until today, the service is supervised by the Ministry of Justice; only in 1940 and from 1945 to 1948 the service formed part of the Ministry of National Defence. In 1943, the exile government in London set up a Hoog Commissariaat voor ’s Lands Veiligheid with the aim of preparing the re-establishment of government authority after the Liberation, to coordinate the operations of the State Security in occupied Belgium, etc. Among the tasks of today’s State Security, which were not legally defined for a long time, are the protection of the (political, economic, scientific) interests and values of the state, the safeguarding of its internal and external security, but also the execution of protection missions, investigations with regard to security clearances, etc. The Comité I, set up in 1991, is the controlling body for the different intelligence services. (http://justitie.belgium.be/nl/overheidsdienst_justitie/organisatie/onafhankelijke_diensten_en_commissies/veiligheid_van_de_staat/; C. Vanderpelen-Diagre, “Haut Commissariat à la sécurité de l’État”, in P. ARON & J. Gotovitch, Dictionnaire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en Belgique, Brussel, André Versaille, 2008, pp. 223-224; K. Velle & K. Devolder, “De FOD Justitie”, 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. 325-350.)
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation of documents containing personal information requires the authorisation of the Algemeen Rijksarchivaris or his representative. This authorisation is granted on the basis of a research declaration signed by the researcher.
- Finding aids:
- There are several unpublished inventories: Inventaire. Activité du haut commissariat à la sécurité de l’État durant sa présence à Londres. n°1-495,; Inventaire. Activité du haut commissariat à la sécurité de l’État. n°496-1749 and M.-T. Polart, Inventaire. Activité du haut commissariat à la sécurité de l’État. n° 1750-2544.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
