Metadata: RWK 1996-1997
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-M36
- Title:
- RWK 1996-1997
- Title (official language):
- RWK 1996-1997
- Creator/accumulator:
- Rijksweldadigheidskolonies; Colonies de Bienfaisance de l’État
- Date(s):
- 1810/1980
- Extent:
- 432.4 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- In this fonds we firstly note archival material produced by the Jewish refugee centre in Merksplas (dated 1938-1940), in particular the rollen (a type of register; see nos. 5002-5004) including alphabetical index (no. 5005), as well as various types of financial logs (nos. 5006-5008). We also note archival material produced by the prison of Merksplas, such as documentation files from which we point out the files “Religion, 1921-1946” (no. 5019) and “Prisoners (foreigners), 1925-1947” (5033). The fonds contains archival material produced by the Interneringscentrum voor Vreemdelingen as well; see files nos. 5009-5013 containing correspondence, rollen, lists of internees and individual files (opsluitingsdossiers). Lastly, the various sub-fonds contain several series of general documents that also concern, for example, internees of Jewish origin. See for example the registers (e.g. of inmates), the series of daily reports of the various (sub)sections of the institutions, lists (i.a. of the ‘beggars’ asylum’, 1892-1940), material concerning the accommodation and treatment of foreigners, lists of registered ‘colonists’, large series of opsluitingsdossiers (individual files), files concerning deceased internees and so on. Most of these series can be searched by family name.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Institutions to combat vagrancy and related phenomena already existed in Belgium during the French period. From the 1820s, a semi-penal and penal system was gradually established, consisting of institutions for beggars, agricultural colonies, shelters, centres for the mentally challenged and mentally ill, internment centres for juvenile offenders etc. for the accommodation and discipline of individuals who stood at the margins of society. The internees were often put to work on farms or in workshops in industrial production. Such institutions, supervised by the Ministry of Justice, were established in Sint-Andries-Brugge (since 1805), Hoogstraten (1810), Rekem (1880), Merksplas (1823) and Wortel (1822). These two latter would become the most important. The nature of the population (male or female prisoners, aliens), tasks, operation, management structure etc. changed greatly over the 19th and 20th centuries, closely linked to the rapidly changing social legislation. The new vagrancy laws (in 1866 and 1891) in particular breathed new life into the penal colonies. The centres in Merksplas especially benefited from the new investments and the expansion of their infrastructure (in the 1870s-1880s). The institutions were significantly reformed in the first half of the 20th century (notably in 1911 and 1923). The social legislation of the 1920s played a part in this, but the medicalisation of the penal system (cfr. the creation of a ‘special medical service for anthropological research’ in Merksplas) was also booming. Relevant to note is that the directors of the Rijksweldadigheidskolonies (‘national welfare colonies’) also managed a number of related but quasi-autonomous institutions. In Merksplas there were eight in total – e.g. the internment centre for aliens (1940-1945), the prison (1920-1970) and the Jewish refugee centre (1938-1940). By the end of the 20th century, these institutions increasingly became obsolete – particularly following the abolition of the law on begging (1993). The centres in Wortel for example were closed in 1993. Today, the buildings in Merksplas serve as a ‘centre for illegal aliens’. (J. Buyck & K. Velle, Inventaris van het archief van de Rijksweldadigheidskolonies Hoogstraten-Merksplas-Rekem-Wortel, I 27 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1998; J. Buyck & I. Rotthier, Inventaris van het archief van de Rijksweldadigheidsgestichten te Sint-Andries-Brugge en rechtsvoorgangers (1815-1992). Overdracht 1999., I 51 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2000.)
- Access points: locations:
- Merksplas
- Subject terms:
- Financial records
- Migration
- Migration--Immigration
- Prisoners
- Refugees
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation of documents older than 30 years containing personal information requires the authorisation of the Algemeen Rijksarchivaris or his representative, as well as the signing of a research declaration.
- Finding aids:
- J. Buyck & K. Velle, Inventaris van het archief van de Rijksweldadigheidskolonies Hoogstraten-Merksplas-Rekem-Wortel, I 27 (Rijksarchief te Beveren), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 1998.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
