Metadata: Public functions – Security – War and Occupation
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- FelixArchief – City archives of Antwerp
- Holding institution (official language):
- FelixArchief - Stadsarchief Antwerpen
- Postal address:
- Oude Leeuwenrui 29, 2000 Antwerpen
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)3 338 94 11
- Reference number:
- FelixArCity-Antwerp-Publieke taken – Veiligheid – Oorlog en bezetting
- Title:
- Public functions – Security – War and Occupation
- Title (official language):
- Publieke taken – Veiligheid – Oorlog en bezetting
- Creator/accumulator:
- Stad Antwerpen; Ville d’Anvers; City of Antwerp
- Date(s):
- 1914/1968
- Scope and content:
- From this fonds we firstly point out the file no. 123 # 205 (1961-1967), related to Wiedergutmachung. File no. 1020 # 1 contains documents (1942-1946) related to the implementation of the “Jewish ordinance” of 1 December 1941 produced by the 3rd Bureau (responsible for matters of education). The (sub)fonds produced by the local committee of the Nationaal Steunfonds voor Geteisterden contains, apart from general files concerning relief to war victims, repatriated persons, returned political prisoners etc. also a file specifically related to providing aid to Jews (1944-1947); see file no. 33 # 182.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The municipality is one of the levels of government with which citizens most often come into contact. Its tasks and competences were first established by the decree of 14 December 1789, and by the order of 19 Frimaire year IV [1795-96]. After Belgian independence, the legal framework was provided by the Gemeentewet of 1836 and later the ‘Nieuwe Gemeentewet’ (1988). Since 2002, the organic law regarding municipalities is a competence of the Regions. Until 1980, municipalities were supervised by the provincial and central authorities. Today, there is a division of powers between the federal and regional governments. A municipality is led by a mayor, who is also the head of the local police. He/she is assisted by a college of aldermen, selected from the municipal council. Currently, there are 589 municipalities in Belgium. Before the large-scale fusions in the 1970s – in other words, for a large part of Belgian history – there were 2359 municipalities. The municipality had/has, among others, competences regarding the management of its assets, institutions and staff; municipal revenue and expenditure; Civil Registry; health and safety in public places; urban planning and environment; public works; militia; education; elections etc. This is reflected in the sources held in municipal and city archives. Important general sources include the (sometimes published) minutes of meetings and records of the municipal council and college of aldermen (often indexed by subject). We also refer to all kinds of administrative reports and general correspondence. The series of sources of the Civil Registry (e.g. birth, marriage and death certificates, population registers, registers of arrival and departure) are crucial for historical research on individuals. Relevant for this guide are notably the alien registers (since 1933), and the alien files preserved in some larger cities. Of major importance are also the accounts, correspondence and other material regarding the recognised religions. They contain information on their operation, budgets, assets but also the appointment of ministers, donations to religious communities, various conflicts etc. Building permits and files regarding environmental permits contain information and usually blueprints of buildings. Lastly, in many municipal and city archives there are specific series of sources regarding policy during the First and Second World War. We mention e.g. the various anti-Jewish ordinances, documents regarding the spoliation of the Jews, the so-called Jodenregister (register of Jews), correspondence related to the implementation of the anti-Jewish policies etc. (J. Art & E. Vanhaute (ed.), Inleiding tot de lokale geschiedenis van de 19de en de 20ste eeuw, Gent, Mens & Cultuur, 2003; P. van den Eeckhout, “De gemeenten en de lokale openbare instellingen”, 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. 31-92.)
- Access points: locations:
- Antwerp
- Finding aids:
- The fonds is described in the database of the Felixarchief. A separate finding aid exists for the archives of the Plaatselijk Comité voor het Nationaal Steunfonds voor Geteisterden; it can be consulted via the search engine of the FelixArchief.
- Links to finding aids:
- http://zoeken.felixarchief.be
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
