Metadata: [Section Fonds administratifs] Finance archives
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Archives of the City of Brussels
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles
- Postal address:
- Huidevettersstraat 65 / Rue des Tanneurs 65, 1000 Bruxelles
- Phone number:
- +32 2 279 53 20
- Web address:
- http://archives.bruxelles.be
- Email:
- archives@brucity.be
- Reference number:
- ArCity-Brussels-[Section Fonds administratifs] Archives des Finances
- Title:
- [Section Fonds administratifs] Finance archives
- Title (official language):
- [Section Fonds administratifs] Archives des Finances
- Creator/accumulator:
- Ville de Bruxelles; Stad Brussel; City of Brussels
- Date(s):
- 1828/1999
- Date note:
- ca. 1831 – 20th century
- Extent:
- ca. 2,500 linear metres
- Scope and content:
-
The series of supporting documents (“pièces à l’appui des comptes”) from this fonds is of particular interest. They concern financial transactions related to subsidies to the Jewish school, the synagogue, and the housing expenses of the Chief Rabbi.
The following codes are to be requested preceded by the code for this sub-series (III 41) and with indication of the first digit (the box number) of the following references; the two last digits refer to the resp. titles and items.
Concerning subsidies to the Jewish school, see: 2 – I – 53 (1831); 6 – I – 54 (1832); 36 – II – 64 (1836); 43 – II – 83 (1837); 48bis – II – 78 (1838); 55 – II – 82 (1839); 61bis – II – 78 (1840); 67 – II – 84 (1841); 73 – II – 93 (1842); 77 – II – 97 (1843); 83 – XIV – 95 and 85 – III – 2 (1844); 90 – XIV – 96 and 92 – III – 4 (1845); 94 – XIV – 96, 99 – II – 3 and [illegible reference] (1846); 104 – XIV – 98, 107 – II – 4 and [illegible reference] (1847); 110 – XIV – 95 (1848) and 117 – XIV – 98 (1849).
For the subsidies of the province and government to the Jewish school, see: 94 – Ror – 5 (1845); 101 – Ror – 3 and 101 – Ror – 7 (1846); 107bis – Ror – 4 and 107bis – Ror – 6 (1847).
For documents concerning the housing expenses of the rabbi, see: 72 – II – 84 (1842); 77 – II – 881 (1843); 83 – XIII – 86 (1844); 90- XIII – 87 (1845); 97 – XIII – 88 (1846); 104 – XIII – 89 (1847); 110 – XIII – 86 (1848) and 117 – XIII – 88 (1849).
Concerning the subsidies to and maintenance of the synagogue, see: 16 – II – 53 (1833); 23 – II – 50 (1834); 29 – II – 57 (1835); 36 – II – 58 (1836); 42bis – II – 74 (1837); 48bis – II – 74 (1838); 55 – II – 73 (1839); 61bis – II – 73 (1840) and 67 – II – 73 (1841).
Concerning the subsidy for the extension and restoration of the synagogue, see: 119 – II – 13 (SE) (1849).
It is likely that the fonds contains similar material for the late 19th and 20th centuries. However, the archival material of this period in the fonds has not been arranged and no finding aid exists.
- 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:
- Brussels
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation of non-arranged material dating from the 20th century requires the authorisation of the archivist.
- Finding aids:
- D. Hoslet, Fonds des Finances. Pièces à l’appui des comptes. Inventaire I 1831-1843., Brussel, ASB-AVB, 1987; s.n., Fonds des Finances. Pièces à l’appui des comptes. Inventaire II (1844-1849), Brussel, ASB-AVB, s.d. Both finding aids can be found in the reading room (reference 72 S 41). According to the archival department, the finding aids do not always correspond entirely to the actual order of the fonds.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
