Metadata: Archives of “À l’Innovation”
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- National Archives of Belgium 2 – Joseph Cuvelier Repository
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archives Générales du Royaume 2 – Dépôt Joseph Cuvelier
- Postal address:
- Hopstraat 26-28 / Rue du Houblon 26-28, 1000 Bruxelles
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 274 15 00
- Web address:
- http://www.arch.be/
- Email:
- agr_ar_2@arch.be
- Reference number:
- NAB2-Brussels-545-463
- Title:
- Archives of “À l’Innovation”
- Title (official language):
- Archives de «À l’Innovation"
- Creator/accumulator:
- À l’Innovation
- Date(s):
- 1919/1976
- Extent:
- 10 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds exclusively contains various series of bookkeeping records (registers), dated 1919-1976.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The department store À l’Innovation opened its doors in 1897 in the rue Neuve in Brussels, in a building that would later be expanded by Victor Horta and become one of the masterpieces of Art Nouveau in the city. Julien Bernheim (1853-1925), a merchant from Mulhouse, had created this store specialised in the sale of hosiery, silk, haberdashery and ribbons (rubans). Émile Bernheim (1886-1985) worked with his father in this business which, by 1911, employed almost 2000 people over six branches in Belgium. In the aftermath of the First World War, the Bernheims took over their neighbour and former rival Leonhard Tietz, now placed under sequester. The business was converted into a limited company (société anonyme) in October 1919. The company, inspired by American sales techniques and methods, was highly successful. Émile Bernheim was forced to resign as a director during the Second World War, as well as five other members of the board, who also were of Jewish origin. Bernheim was able to recover his property after the conflict. In 1967 the headquarters of the store was destroyed in a terrible fire. Two years later, the business merged with Le Bon Marché to form the group Inno-BM, headed by Émile Bernheim. In 1974, Inno-BM fused with GB Entreprises, resulting in the Groupe GIB. (J.-P. Schreiber & E. Wulliger, « Bernheim Julien ; Bernheim Emile ", in J.-P. Schreiber, Dictionnaire biographique des Juifs de Belgique. Figures du judaïsme belge, XIXe-XXe siècles, Bruxelles, de Boeck, 2002, pp. 51-52 ; S. Jaumain, « Bernheim Julien ", in G. Kurgan (ed.), Dictionnaire des Patrons du XXè siècle en Belgique, Bruxelles, De Boeck & Larcier, 1996, pp. 47-49 ; M. Jacquemin, C. Six & C. Vancoppenolle, Guide des Archives d’Associations professionnelles et d’entreprises en région bruxelloise, Guides/Gidsen no. 51, vol. 2, Bruxelles, ARA-AGR, 2001, pp. 554-558.)
- Finding aids:
- There is an unpublished inventory: M. Jacquemin, Inventaire des Archives comptables de A l’Innovation, Brussel, ARA-AGR, 2001.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
