Archives of rector Honoré Van Waeyenbergh

Collection

Scope and content:: In this fonds we firstly note the material related to the Second Vatican Council. Nrs. 723 and 745/5 (1964-1965) respectively contain the working documents and final council resolutions on non-Christian religions (“de ecclesia habitudine ad religions non-christianas”, better known as Nostra Aetate). Nr. 1714 (1936) contains a letter from the Katholiek Bureau voor Israël. Material concerning racism and nationalism can be found in file no. 1731. Lastly, we mention the file no. 8189 (1940-1942) related to the Jewish students of the university during the Second World War, in particular following the ordinances on Jewish education.

Administrative/biographical history:: Honoré Van Waeyenbergh obtained a PhD in Philology and was ordained a priest in 1919. He is best known as vice rector (1936-1940) and rector (1940-1961) of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Under his direction the university expanded rapidly and gained worldwide recognition. He was active as a member or president in dozens of academic and inter-university organisations. During the Occupation Van Waeyenbergh was arrested and placed under house arrest following his refusal to hand over the inscription registers of students. During his term as a rector, he witnessed i.a. the ‘Royal Question’, the ‘School Struggle’ and the struggle for making Dutch the only official language of the university of Leuven (and the subsequent restructuring of the university). Van Waeyenbergh also took part in the Second Vatican Council and founded, in 1954, the Lovanium University in former Leopoldville (Kinshasa) in the Belgian Congo. The same year he was ordained bishop of Gilba and auxiliary bishop of Mechelen. He also received decorations such as the title of Grootofficier in the Order of Leopold, honorary citizen of the city of Leuven and a series of honorary degrees. (“Honoré Van Waeyenbergh (1891-1971)”, in ODIS - Database Intermediary Structures Flanders (accessible on http://www.odis.be); K. Corens, Inventaris van het archief van rector Honoré Van Waeyenbergh, Leuven, Acco, 2009)

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic measures; Christianity; Christianity--Churches (institution); Education; Education--Schools and universities; Education--Students; Jewish-Christian relations

Finding aids:: K. Corens, Inventaris van het archief van rector Honoré Van Waeyenbergh, Leuven, Acco, 2009.