Metadata: Collection of “ego documents”, diaries and manuscripts
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society
- Holding institution (official language):
- Centre d’Études et de Documentation Guerre et Sociétés Contemporaines
- Postal address:
- Luchtvaartsquare 29 / Square de l’Aviation 29, 1070 Bruxelles (Anderlecht)
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 556 92 11
- Web address:
- http://www.cegesoma.be/
- Email:
- cegesoma@cegesoma.be
- Reference number:
- CHRDWConS-Brussels-Verzameling egodocumenten, dagboeken en manuscripten
- Title:
- Collection of “ego documents”, diaries and manuscripts
- Title (official language):
- Verzameling egodocumenten, dagboeken en manuscripten
- Creator/accumulator:
- Studie- en Documentatiecentrum Oorlog en Hedendaagse Maatschappij; Centre d’Études et de Documentation Guerre et Sociétés Contemporaines
- Date(s):
- 1940/2016
- Date note:
- Material continues to be added to this collection.
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- German
- English
- Extent:
- 2,608 items at time of writing
- Scope and content:
- The manuscript collection of the CEGESOMA mainly contains autobiographical notes, diaries and other “ego documents”, ranging in length from brief notes to memoirs counting dozens of pages. In some rare cases, we find other types of documents such as speeches or literature. This collection generally contains written testimonies – some contemporary, most of them after the events – of ordinary citizens, soldiers, conscripts, resistance fighters, former prisoners and deportees, persecuted Jews, etc. The focus is clearly on the events from the end of the 1930s and the Second World War, including themes such as resistance groups and their actions, intelligence networks, persecutions and deportation, repression, concentration camps, but also daily life during the war, May 1940, etc. The First World War is much less well-represented as a topic. A number of the manuscripts in this collection were written by Jewish individuals, and/or relate to subjects such as the emigration of Jewish refugees to Belgium, the persecution and deportation of the Jews, resistance activities, etc.
- Access points: locations:
- Belgium
- Finding aids:
- A list of manuscripts can be consulted on the website of the CEGESOMA.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
