Metadata: Archives of the Executive of the province of Antwerp. Archives of the Griffie. Archives of the Toezichtscommissie of the Dienst voor Landverhuizing
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- State Archives in Antwerp
- Holding institution (official language):
- Rijksarchief te Antwerpen
- Postal address:
- Sanderusstraat 81, 2018 Antwerpen
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)3 236 73 00
- Reference number:
- SAA-Beveren-PAA 829
- Title:
- Archives of the Executive of the province of Antwerp. Archives of the Griffie. Archives of the Toezichtscommissie of the Dienst voor Landverhuizing
- Title (official language):
- Archief van het Provinciebestuur Antwerpen. Archief van de Griffie. Archief van de Toezichtscommissie van de Dienst voor Landverhuizing
- Creator/accumulator:
- Provincie Antwerpen; Province d’Anvers; province of Antwerp
- Date(s):
- 1912/1993
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- English
- Extent:
- 1.5 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- Of interest for this guide is the file no. 63, which concerns mediation between the (Russian) rabbi Israel Soifer and the Red Star Line related to the reimbursement of the costs of accommodation in Antwerp, in the context of emigration to the United States (1923-1924). We also point out the file no. 102, related to the emigration of diamond workers in 1919, most of whom seem to be of Polish Jewish descent.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The present division of Belgium into provinces dates back to the French period, when the Southern Netherlands were split up into nine départements (decree of 14 Fructidor, year III). Since the division of the province of Brabant in 1995 Belgium has ten provinces. For almost 150 years, the Provinciewet of 1836 remained the legal framework. The constitutional reforms of 1970 and 1980 also affected the provinces, who escaped elimination but were thoroughly reformed (law of 6 July 1987). Since 1 January 2002 the organic law regarding the provinces is a competence of the Regions; both the Flemish and Walloon Regions have since issued their own provincial decrees. A province is headed by a governor. He/she is assisted by a provincial executive (bestendige deputatie; today called ‘deputatie’ in Flanders, ‘collège provincial’ in Wallonia) selected from the provincial council. The tasks and competences of the provinces were only vaguely described in the Provinciewet. In practice, the provincial executive and the governor primarily supervise(d) lower administrations including municipalities, the Public Centres for Social Welfare and church councils (kerkfabrieken). The province also has the authority to create certain institutions such as schools. The governor is responsible for keeping the peace, public order and security; for this purpose he is authorised to call upon the Gendarmerie (Federal Police, since 1998). As a consequence of these tasks and competences, provincial archives contain documents on a wide range of subjects such as public works, public health, finances of the municipalities and local institutions, elections, provincial education, public order etc. Among the general sources we notably mention minutes of meetings but also the (published) Bestuursmemoriaal in which the decisions, circulars, regulations etc. of the provincial bodies are included. Relevant for this guide are the documents resulting from the organisation and supervision of recognised religions (incl. budgets, accounts, appointment and housing of rabbis, works to synagogues). Provincial archives also contain documents regarding policy during the Second World War, including material on the anti-Jewish ordinances, registration of Jews, deportation, spoliation etc. (P. van den Eeckhout, “De provincies”, 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. 105-138.)
- Access points: locations:
- Antwerp
- Access points: persons/families:
- Soifer, Israel
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation of documents less than 30 years old requires the authorisation of the provinciegriffier. Consultation of documents older than 30 years 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:
- K. Tiels, PAA 829 Landverhuizing, 1912-1993. Inventaris., Antwerpen, Provinciearchief, 2007.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
