Metadata: 3rd section
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Provincial Archival Service of West Flanders
- Holding institution (official language):
- Provinciale Archiefdienst West-Vlaanderen
- Postal address:
- Provinciaal Archiefgebouw, Gistelse Steenweg 528, 8200 Sint-Andries
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)50 40 72 90
- Reference number:
- PASWFl-SAndries-3de afdeling
- Title:
- 3rd section
- Title (official language):
- 3de afdeling
- Creator/accumulator:
- Provincie West-Vlaanderen; Province de Flandre Occidentale; Province of West Flanders
- Date(s):
- 1895/2005
- Date note:
- ca. 20th century
- Scope and content:
- In sub-fonds 1905-1925 of this fonds we find, in the section “Afgescheiden erediensten” (“split-off religions”), the no. 5839 concerning “general matters” (dated 1901-1922) which possibly contains relevant material. Bundle no. 5840 contains a (sub)file no. 20418 titled “Israëlitische eredienst” (Jewish religion) and dated 1907-1912. Nr. 5841 contains two (sub)files as well, related to the Jewish religion in Ostend – see no. 87605 (dated 1886-1892) and no. 10807 (1902-1904). In sub-fonds 1926-1929 we find two relevant (sub)files in bundle no. 6434: no. 20172 consists of salary lists of i.a. Jewish clergymen in Ostend (1907), while no. 33566 contains documents concerning the salaries and the ‘duurtetoeslag’ (a type of allowance) for the “afgescheiden erediensten” (1919-1925). Lastly, from sub-fonds 1949-1950 we note, in bundle 725, the file no. 143/75 concerning reparation and maintenance related to war damage to the synagogue in Ostend.
- 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:
- Ostend
- Subject terms:
- Financial records
- Rabbis
- Synagogues
- Finding aids:
- There is an unpublished inventory, for the most part imported into the database of the Provinciaal Archief.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
