Metadata: Archives from World War I and II
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Provincial Archives of Limburg
- Holding institution (official language):
- Provinciaal Archief Limburg
- Postal address:
- Universiteitslaan 1, 3500 Hasselt
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)11 23 76 06
- Web address:
- http://www.limburg.be/provinciaalarchieflimburg
- Email:
- archief@limburg.be
- Reference number:
- PALimburg-Hasselt-Archieven van Wereldoorlog I en II
- Title:
- Archives from World War I and II
- Title (official language):
- Archieven van Wereldoorlog I en II
- Creator/accumulator:
- Provincie Limburg; Province de Limbourg; Province of Limburg
- Date(s):
- 1914/1976
- Scope and content:
- In this fonds we find, in the section “Openbare Orde” (public order) of the inventory, documents concerning “Jewish children – school attendance” (see box 11, no. 79), dated 1941-1942. Box 11 no. 82 contains material related to “Jewish subjects 1940 – inquires i.a. concerning the Kamp Holven in Overpelt”. We also note the section “Arbeidskamp – Overpelt” (labour camp Overpelt), containing archival documents concerning the organisation, operation, personnel, living conditions etc. of the labour camp in Overpelt, where around 50 Jews were (compulsorily) employed during the Occupation. See box 34, nos. 376-389.
- 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.)
- Finding aids:
- Inventaris van de Archieven van Wereldoorlog I & II, Hasselt, 2012.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
