Metadata: Contemporary archives
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Archives of the Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archives de l’Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
- Postal address:
- Hertogsstraat 1 / Rue Ducale 1, 1000 Bruxelles
- Phone number:
- + 32 2 550 22 12
- Web address:
- www.academieroyale.be
- Email:
- info@academieroyale.be
- Reference number:
- ArARSci-Brussels-Archives contemporaines
- Title:
- Contemporary archives
- Title (official language):
- Archives contemporaines
- Creator/accumulator:
- Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique; Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België
- Date(s):
- 1816/2016
- Extent:
- 23,011 files
- Scope and content:
- In this fonds we note, in the section “mesures d’exception appliquées aux Juifs”, a number of files concerning the anti-Jewish ordinances of the occupier and the treatment of Jewish members of the Academy during the Second World War (in particular the years 1940-1941). Nr. ARB 1831 contains correspondence from the secretary concerning the first ‘Jewish ordinances’ (October 1940). Nr. ARB 1832 concerns the case of M. Huisman; we note i.a. correspondence with the Military Administration and the secretary of the Academy. Nrs. ARB 1833, ARB 1834 and ARB 1835 relate to the discussion about the resumption of functions of the board and members of the Academy. They consist of i.a. correspondence concerning the anti-Jewish ordinances, letters of members targeted by the ordinances, lists of Academy members and correspondence concerning decisions of the Ministry of Public Education. Lastly, in no. ARB 11120 we find reports on the work Les Juifs dans les Pays-Bas au Moyen Age by Jean Stengers (the work itself has not been preserved).
- Administrative/biographical history:
- In 1769, Count de Cobenzl founded a Société Littéraire in Brussels, which was given the name Académie impériale et royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Bruxelles by empress Maria Theresia two years later. The Academy was abolished during the French Period, but re-opened by Willem I. In 1845, Leopold I reorganised the institution and changed its name to Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique. Discontent about the virtually exclusively francophone character of the Academy led to the creation of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten in 1938. In 1971, in the wake of the first constitutional reforms, the institution was separated into two parallel Academies, under the authority of the respective Communities. The French-speaking Académie is subdivided in three Classes, each headed by a director: the Class Science, the Class Philology, Political Science and Ethics, and the Class Fine Arts. The Academy is headed by a director, assisted by his secretariat, an administrative commission with seven members and a commission consultative des 3 Classes. In addition, a number of committees and commissions are active within the Academy (notably the commission in charge of the publication of the Nouvelle Biographie Nationale). Cooperation with its Dutch-speaking counterpart is reflected in, among others, patronage of a number of specific commissions and the creation (in 2001) of the non-profit organisation The Royal Academies for Sciences and the Arts of Belgium. The mission of the Academy is to promote scientific research and art in Belgium – for example by awarding prizes and subsidies, and publishing the work of promising scientists. Another key task of the institution is the stimulation of collaboration between Belgian artists and scientists, and between researchers and artists abroad. (J.-M. Yante & P.-A. Tallier (dir.), F. Plisnier, S. Carnel, G. Coppieters & V. Pirlot, Gids van de instellingen van openbaar nut in België. Deel III. Band 1. Notities van de parastatalen niet onderworpen aan de wet van 16 maart 1954 (notities 291 tot 379), Guides/Gidsen no. 70, Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2008, pp. 35-40.)
- Access points: persons/families:
- Huisman, M
- Finding aids:
- The fonds is described in the Pallas database, accessible through the website of the Academy.
- Links to finding aids:
- http://www.academieroyale.be
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
