Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem

Collection

Web address:: http://www.arch.be/index.php?l=nl&m=praktische-info&r=onze-leeszalen&d=antwerpen

Creator/accumulator:: Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem; Athénée Royal de Berchem

Scope and content:: This fonds contains archival material providing information on the presence of Jewish pupils. We firstly point out the general documents including statistics on the school population, enrolment registers (stamboeken)(nos. 1-4, dated 1934-1984), class registers (nos. 6-12, dated 1934-1984), registers of correspondence etc. The fonds also contains various series of registers concerning the grades of students, results of the entrance and transition exams of the humaniora sections, final exams, delivery of diplomas and certificates etc. Furthermore, we find potentially interesting documents such as inventories of the teacher and student libraries, lists of class libraries etc. Lastly, we mention a number of (post-war) student and school periodicals, as well as a number of files concerning various commemoration ceremonies and events in honour of teachers and students killed during the Second World War.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem (Royal Athenaeum of Berchem) was created as a result of the modified legislation on public education (1934). The first classes started in September 1934, with 46 students enrolled. The Athenaeum was initially located at the Grote Steenweg. In 1937 the school moved to a brand new building in the Uitbreidingsstraat, where it is still located today. During the Second World War, the school buildings were partially occupied by German troops. The lack of space caused by the increased number of students after the war was resolved in 1973, following the construction of a new sports hall, cafeteria and kitchen. Relevant for this guide are the Jewish students who were enrolled at the Athenaeum, one of the five state schools offering classes of Jewish religion during the interbellum. About 67 boys followed Jewish religious instruction in 1937. The practical problems associated with the arrival of many children of German and Austrian refugees (including lessons that fell on the Sabbath) were resolved by putting Jewish children in the same class. (B. Willems, Inventaris van het archief van het Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem, in voorbereiding; V. Vanden Daelen, Laten we hun lied verder zingen. De heropbouw van de joodse gemeenschap in Antwerpen na de Tweede Wereldoorlog (1944-1960), Amsterdam, Uitgeverij Aksant, 2008, pp. 320 en 337.)

Subject terms:: Children; Commemoration; Education; Education--Schools and universities; Education--Students; Holocaust; Libraries; Statistics

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. For consultation of documents less than 30 years old, the authorisation of the school principal of the Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem is required.

Finding aids:: B. Willems, Inventaris van het archief van het Koninklijk Atheneum van Berchem (1934-2006), I 77 (Rijksarchief te Antwerpen), Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2014.