Metadata: Series CAP-CPAS, Archives concerning general matters and planning (AGP)
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- PCSW Brussels, Archives and Museum Department
- Holding institution (official language):
- CPAS de Bruxelles, Service Archives et Musée
- Postal address:
- Rue Haute 289a / Hoogstraat 298a, 1000 Bruxelles
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 543 60 59
- Web address:
- http://www.cpasbru.irisnet.be
- Email:
- archives@cpasbru.irisnet.be
- Reference number:
- PCSW-Brussels-Service AGP
- Title:
- Series CAP-CPAS, Archives concerning general matters and planning (AGP)
- Title (official language):
- Série CAP-CPAS, Fonds Affaires générales et programmation (AGP)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn van Brussel; Centre Public d’Action Sociale de Bruxelles
- Date(s):
- 1925/2008
- Extent:
- ca. 190 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds constitutes the continuation of the Fonds Affaires générales of the Conseil. It is divided in four series: the “nurses and nursing schools”; the “principles”; the “old numbers” and the “new numbers”, according to the structure of the fonds as transferred to the archives department. The so-called “old numbers” (anciens numéros) series contains the following relevant files: no. 34 (“cessation of functions exercised by Jews”, 1942), no. 43 and no. 157. The fonds also contains the ordinances and circulars sent by the German authorities during the Second World War – see nos. 42, 106 and 108 (orders and circulars).
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The public organisation of poor relief dates from the French Revolution. During the French period various laws regulated the supervision of charities by the municipalities. After Belgian independence, local (especially the Gemeentewet of 1836) and to a lesser extent national laws played a role in the organisation of local poor relief, as they had done before. Following the law of 10 March 1925 the burelen van weldadigheid and the commissions of the burgerlijke godshuizen, the forerunners of the later COOs and OCMWs, were replaced by so-called Commissies van Openbare Onderstand / Commissions d’Assistance Publique (COO). It was not only their task to provide assistance to the needy, but also to prevent poverty. Important evolutions include the gradual introduction of a minimum income – from the guaranteed income for the elderly (1969) to the formal recognition for the right to a minimum income (1974). In 1976 the Openbare Centra voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn (OCMW)/Centre Public d’Aide Sociale (CPAS) (Public Centre for Social Welfare) succeeded the COOs. Its responsibilities were expanded; since then they have also included social, medical and psychological assistance. The same law also established the right to social assistance. OCMWs are managed by a social welfare council, of which the members are selected by the municipal council. This council elects a president and bureau. Between municipality and OCMW there is a consultative committee. Following the constitutional reform of 1980, the communities were made responsible for social welfare. In 1993 the organic law regarding the OCMWs became a competence of the communities. The respective communities have since issued decrees regarding the organisation of the CPAS/OCMWs. In French-speaking Belgium, since 2002, CPAS stands for Centre Public d’Action Sociale. The series of sources in the archives of the OCMWs and their predecessors are partly similar to those of municipal archives. We notably find minutes of meetings, annual reports, budgets, accounts and various bookkeeping records, ledgers related to real estate, documents regarding renting and leasing etc. Those looking for information on individuals should consult, notably, the lists of destitute individuals and the later series of individual files and ‘social files’. Furthermore we mention subject files, e.g. regarding the organisation and management of various institutions (hospitals, maternity homes, orphanages, nursing homes). OCMW archives are of great importance for the study of social and socio-economic history in general, and in particular for the study of medicine, health care, certain vulnerable groups within society etc. (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, restrictions:
- Files closed more than 50 years ago can be consulted freely. Consultation of files closed less than 50 years ago requires the authorisation of the archivist-curator.
- Finding aids:
- This fonds is currently being ordered; an inventory should be available soon. Currently there are several transfers lists and lists of (the oldest) files.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
