Metadata: Archives of the secretariat
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- City Archives of Ostend
- Holding institution (official language):
- Stadsarchief Oostende
- Postal address:
- Vindictivelaan 1, 8400 Oostende
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)59 80 55 00
- Web address:
- http://www.oostende.be/archief
- Email:
- archief@oostende.be
- Reference number:
- ArCity-Ostend-SAD 521
- Title:
- Archives of the secretariat
- Title (official language):
- Dienstarchief Secretarie
- Creator/accumulator:
- Stad Oostende; Ville d’Ostend; City of Ostend
- Date(s):
- 1940/1994
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- German
- Extent:
- 1,632 files
- Scope and content:
- In this fonds we point out the file no. 1409 titled “Jews”, mainly consisting of correspondence regarding the implementation of the anti-Jewish measures during the Occupation (such as the limitation of access to certain municipal services to Jews). It also contains various lists – i.a. of Jews from Ostend, of Jews from Ostend owning real estate and/or businesses, of “Jewish property” owned by Jewish individuals not living in Ostend etc. The material covers the years 1941-1942. File no. 303 contains correspondence (1941-1944) related to the registration of aliens, including aliens of an ‘enemy’ nationality, as well as their assets. This file contains information on a number of Jewish Soviet citizens and Germans, already mentioned in the previously described file no. 1409.
- 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:
- Ostend
- Finding aids:
- The fonds is described in the database of the city archives.
- Links to finding aids:
- http://archiefbank.oostende.be/
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
