Seminar with Tatiana Sîrbu La politique des “ villages tsiganes― en Bessarabie sous trois administrations: tsariste, roumaine et soviétique: 1812-1956 Ces dernières années, le sort des Roms a, à plusieurs reprises, été porté au devant de l'actualité. Mais cette question est une problématique ancienne qu'il n'est pas inutile d'examiner sur le plan plus historique. Pour aborder l'histoire chaotique de cette population, le CEGES invite le mercredi 19 décembre 2012 l'historienne Tatiana Sîrbu pour une présentation qui traitera de l'évolution de la situation des Roms en Bessarabie aux 19e et 20e siècles, fruit de ses recherches de doctorat.

Seminar with Ugur Ümit Üngör

Expropriation et destruction : génocide et confiscation des biens arméniens en 1915

 Peu d'événements historiques suscitent autant de controverses que le génocide arménien. Le sujet a encore marqué l'actualité politique lorsque le Parlement français a adopté une loi réprimant la négation du génocide arménien avant son invalidation par le Conseil constitutionnel. Le CEGES a, pour sa part, souhaité se pencher sur cette question le mercredi 5 décembre 2012 (2.30 p.m.).

Seminar with Laurent Thiery

La répression: un élément central de la stratégie politique d'Occupation dans les départements du Nord - Pas-de-Calais On Wednesday 21 November 2012( 2.30 p.m.) the CEGES/SOMA receives Laurent Thiery. L'historien français qui a récemment soutenu sa thèse de doctorat à l'Université de Lille 3, viendra présenter ses recherches au cours d'un séminaire consacré à la répression allemande dans le Nord de la France durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Seminar with Aline Sax

The world view of Flemish collaborators On Wednesday 17 October 2012 the CEGES/SOMA receives Aline Sax, who recently obtained her PhD in history. This historian and writer of children's books from Antwerp will give a seminar on the motivation and the world view of Flemish collaborators during the Second World War.

The roundup of 3 and 4 September 1942

Jules Coest (in the middle), acting burgomaster of Brussels in 1942 (Photo Ceges/Soma) 70 years ago, 718 Jews living in Brussels were arrested in the middle of the night by the occupier and the Belgian SS. This Brussels roundup took place in the context of the great roundups of the summer of 1942. Without the keeping of a Jewish register following the orders of the occupier in the autumn of 1940 and applied by all Belgian towns concerned, this roundup would not have had the same impact. The event was commemorated by the burgomaster of Brussels, Freddy Thielemans (see the complete text of his speech). He apologised to the Jewish community in the name of the city authorities. Beyond the duty of remembrance, the burgomaster also announced his intention of confiding a complementary mission to the Ceges/Soma on the case of Brussels. This study will be published and handed to the city's public servants and the schools.

Commemoration of the cooperation of the Antwerp police forces to the round-up of the Jews, August 1942

Lieven Saerens (© John Moussiaux).

On Wednesday 15 August it was 70 years since the cooperation of the Antwerp police to the first round-up of the Jews in Belgium. On this occasion, a ceremony where a commemorative plaque was presented, took place in the Antwerp city hall. Mayor Patrick Janssens and the President of the Jewish Central Consistory of Belgium, Professor Baron Julien Klener as well as Soma/Ceges historian Lieven Saerens addressed the public. For the speech of Lieven Saerens, click here.Â

Ceges/Soma-collaborator Karel Stroppe takes a dip

Ceges/Soma-collaborators are not merely active in the scientific field. Karel Strobbe is responsible for the project "North-Limburg and the Second World War") and also lends support to the departments public history and academic activities. On Sunday 8 July he took part in the Big Swim, a swimming tour around the city of Ghent. The Big Swim was a continuation of the Big Jump, a European project where people in several places took a dive to draw attention to the quality of the water. Â

The Cahiers d'Histoire du Temps présent

The Cahiers d'Histoire du Temps présent/Bijdragen tot de Eigentijdse Geschiedenis (CHTP/BEG) are an illustrated journal focusing on the history of Belgium in the twentieth century, in particular on the two World Wars, the political and cultural history and on the historiographical debate. As a scientific journal, the CHTP/BEG reserves a fundamental role for photographic illustrations, which are considered an essential part of the documentary and archive collections.  The journal publishes articles in French, Dutch and English. Since 1996, it is published twice yearly and runs to approximately 300 to 400 pages. Some issues are devoted to the exploration of a particular theme. Its editorial committee consists of researchers of the CEGES/SOMA as well as external researchers. Each issue contains an important section “Library― with reviews of scientific publications related to the history of Belgium.  The journal is a member of the Association des Revues scientifiques et culturelles. Its articles are summarized and reviewed in Historical Abstracts and America : History and Life. Â

Seminar with Peter Haslinger The break-up of Czechoslovakia - an experience to share ? Le mercredi 30 mai 2012 (14h.30), le CEGES a le plaisir d'accueillir l'historien autrichien Peter Haslinger. Il viendra nous présenter un séminaire intitulé “The break-up of Czechoslovakia - an experience to share ?―. Ce séminaire sera le dernier de ce premier semestre 2012.

Peter Schrijvers

Peter Schrijvers obtained a Master's degree in History and American Studies from the Catholic University of Leuven and a PhD in US History from the Ohio State University in Columbus. He specializes in US foreign relations history and US involvement in World War II. He was a Research Fellow at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, has taught at the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Études Internationales in Geneva, and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. From 26 January to 30 June 2012 he carries out research at the CEGES/SOMA for a study on the Battle of Bastogne.

 Has left the Centre on 30th June 2012.  Â

 Bastogne Revisited: An Iconic American Battle Gets a Second Look

Using New Military Sources from US Archives and Often Neglected Belgian Civilian Sources, this project, supported by the CEGES/SOMA and funded by the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, aims at the publication of a study in English which leaves behind the standard view of the Battle of the Bulge widespread in Anglo-Saxon society. Â

New depot for the collections of the CEGES-SOMA

Consequences for the service in the reading room

29 May 2012 will be an important date in the history of the Ceges-Soma because for the first time, the institution will dispose of a second depot which will provide twice its actual storing space. The occupation of the second depot will also involve a thorough reorganisation of the collections. Everything possible has been done to minimise the consequences with regard to the service to the readers. Nevertheless, the access to some types of documents will become temporarily more difficult (see further in text). Moreover, the reading room will be closed for two short periods: from Tuesday 29 May to Friday 1 June and from Monday 18 June to Wednesday 20 June.

Symposium Transitional Justice: final programme brochure

On 23 and 24 May 2012, SOMA-CEGES organizes the closing symposium of the transitional justice project. This international symposium will take place in the Egmontpalace. For specific questions, please contact dr. Nico Wouters. You can find the brochure with all practical information and the final version of the programme here. Â

German taxes on the compensation of Belgian survivors of the forced labour programme. Some background information

In the autumn of 2011, news appeared in the press concerning German tax demands issued to Belgian survivors of the forced labour programme or their widows. The ombuds service of the Ministry of Pensions claimed that their department could not help the aged pensioners, advising them to lodge a notice of objection in German to the German tax authorities. The tax demand was introduced because, after the independence of the Baltic States, thousands of former military collaborators claimed military pension benefits from Germany. That this measure would also affect the victims of forced labour had escaped the attention of the German authorities. Recently, Alvin De Coninck, son of a resistance fighter, has tackled the dossier. He has recapitulated his conclusions so far.

Seminar with Pim Griffioen and Ron Zeller La persécution des Juifs aux Pays-Bas, en France et en Belgique, 1940-1945. Convergences, spécificités et causes  Le mercredi 2 mai 2012 (à 14h30), le CEGES accueillera les deux historiens néerlandais Pim Griffioen et Ron Zeller. Ils présenteront leur étude comparative sur la persécution des Juifs aux Pays-Bas, en France et en Belgique.

In Memoriam Natan Ramet

On Wednesday afternoon 4 April 2012, Natan Ramet, one of the last Auschwitz survivors and a well-known name in memory education, died at the age of 86. After the death of David Susskind and Georges Schnek, the Jewish community loses three prominent contemporaries in a short time.

Enquête sur la perception de la collaboration et de la résistance en Belgique

La question des représentations de la collaboration et de la résistance est, pour la Belgique, un sujet complexe. Aussi est-ce avec plaisir que nous relayons sur ce site l'appel lancé par l'étudiante en psychologie Laura De Guissmé en vue de répondre à un questionnaire sur ce sujet.

Seminar with Annette Wieviorka Eichmann. De la traque au procès Le mercredi 18 avril 2012 (14h.30), le CEGES accueillera l'historienne française Annette Wieviorka, grande spécialiste de la Shoah et de l'histoire des Juifs au 20e siècle, et directrice de recherche au CNRS. Elle viendra nous parler du procès Eichmann.

Une histoire d’avenir: les jeunes historiens ont la parole

La journée “jeunes historiens― relative à la Première Guerre mondiale a été couronnée de succès. Neuf jeunes auteurs de masters en histoire ont présenté avec enthousiasme les résultats de leurs recherches devant un public attentif et interactif. Le vendredi 27 avril 2012, le CEGES organise une deuxième journée du genre consacrée cette fois à la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Quatorze historiens issus de la quasi totalité de nos universités prendront cette fois la parole.

Seminar with Jean-Pierre Azéma 'Un village français'. L'historien et la fiction Le mercredi 28 mars 2012 (14h.30), le CEGES accueillera l'historien français Jean-Pierre Azéma. Grand spécialiste de l'histoire de la Seconde Guerre – on lui doit de multiples ouvrages et contributions sur le sujet – il viendra nous parler d'un autre aspect de son activité: celle de conseiller historique de la série télévisée Un village français.

Jasmina Gavrankapetanovic-Redzic

Jasmina Gavrankapetanovic-Redzic (°1980) has a MA in Fine Arts from Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Japan. She is currently PhD candidate in Art and Media Theory, University of Arts Belgrade, Serbia. Since 2007 Jasmina works as Senior TA at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia- Herzegovina. She will conduct her research on mnemonic practices related to the memory of war in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1992-1996, and the memory of II World War both in Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the CEGESOMA from February 14 till November 30, 2012.  Has left the Centre on 2012, November 30.  Â

Journée d’étude ‘À quel âge peut-on visiter un lieu de mémoire ?’

Le 22 mars 2012, le Mémorial national du Fort de Breendonk organise, en collaboration avec le Parlement francophone bruxellois, la Kazerne Dossin et la Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie une journée d'étude sur le thème: 'À quel âge peut-on visiter un lieu de mémoire tels Breendonk, la Kazerne Dossin ou Auschwitz ?'. Cliquez ici pour le programme.  Une histoire d’avenir: les jeunes historiens ont la parole

Le mercredi 21 mars 2012, le CEGES organise une journée "Jeunes historiens" consacrée à la Première Guerre mondiale. Une dizaine de jeunes historiens issus de l'ensemble des universités belges viendront y présenter les recherches qu'ils ont menées en 2011 dans le cadre de leur mémoire de master.

Seminar with Chris van der Heijden

Dat nooit meer. De nasleep van de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Nederland Le mercredi 14 mars 2012 (14h.30), Chris van der Heijden (School voor Journalistiek, Utrecht) sera parmi nous. Des débats provoqués par l'héritage de la Seconde Guerre mondiale touchent nombre de pays concernés. Aux Pays-Bas, cette question a fait l'objet d'une toute récente thèse de doctorat: Dat nooit meer. De nasleep van de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Nederland. Dès la soutenance, l'analyse a fait l'objet de débats et de controverses et de nombreux articles sont parus dans la presse néerlandaise. Quelques années après la parution de Grijs Verleden, Chris van der Heijden suscite à nouveau le débat.

International symposium on Transitional Justice (Egmontpalace, Brussels)

On 23-24 May 2012, the closing symposium for the project 'Transitional Justice after war and dictatorship' will take place in the Egmontpalace in Brussels. This project is coordinated by CEGES-SOMA and funded by the Belgian Peace Building Division of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please look at the programme, with all practical details, here.

Seminar with Martin Conway Les chagrins de la Belgique. Libération et reconstruction politique, 1944-1947 On Wednesday 29 February 2012 (2.30 p.m.), the British historian and leading authority on Belgian history Martin Conway (Balliol College, Oxford) is our guest. He will present his latest book, The Sorrows of Belgium. Liberation and Political Reconstruction, 1944-1947. This long-awaited book deals with a crucial period from recent Belgian history.

A ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ under discussion. The case Robert de Foy

On 9 January 2012, the American journal The Jewish Daily Forward published the article When 'Savior of Jews' is deeply flawed. Holocaust Center probes much-lauded Belgian Security Chief. The article concerns the former head of the Belgian State Security, Robert de Foy (1893-1960), who was in 1975 bestowed posthumously the title of 'Righteous Among the Nations' by Yad Vashem for his help to 'hundreds' of Jews during the Second World War. The title was brought under discussion by a Jewish lady, the 83-year old prominent American former magistrate and feminist Sonia Pressman Fuentes. Â

The assassination of Julien Lahaut: the first result of the research project  Conference with Emmanuel Gerard, Françoise Muller en Widukind De Ridder On Friday 9 March 2012 at 2 p.m., the Friends of the CEGES/SOMA invite you to a conference where the first result of the research project on the assassination of Julien Lahaut will be presented.Â

Scherven van de oorlog. De strijd om de herinnering aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog, 1945- 2010

The liberation in 1944 was not only the end of a war. It was also the beginning of a painful fight for its memory. In Belgium, different groups of victims created very divergent commemoration rituals. For more than sixty years, they related conflicting stories. In the book Scherven van de oorlog (click here to order it), result of a two-year project coordinated by the Ceges/Soma, the authors Bruno Benvindo and Evert Peeters describe this confrontation.

Seminar with Bram Delbeke Een ongemakkelijke constitutionele erfenis. Persmisdrijven en politieke misdrijven in België, 1831-2011 Le mercredi 15 février 2012 (14h.30), Bram Delbeke (FWO-Vlaanderen, KULeuven/Kulak) viendra nous présenter les idées maîtresses de sa thèse de doctorat consacrée aux délits de presse et aux délits politiques en Belgique.

Project enquiry on oral history in Belgium

Following the study day Oral History in Belgium on 18 November 2011, the CEGES/SOMA is currently distributing an enquiry. If you were/are involved in a project on oral history, you can fill out this document (click here). The purpose is to obtain an overview of new Belgian projects on oral history between 2004 and 2012.

CEGES-SOMA began 2012 with a European conference onTransitional Justice

On 11 January 2012, CEGES-SOMA organized a European conference in its conference room, titled 'Transitional Justice in Europe (1945-2000) – the historical perspective' (you will find the programme here). Around 45 people were present. The conference took place under the umbrella of the Eucowas-network, but also within the framework of the project 'Transitional Justice after war and dictatorship' (coordinated by CEGES-SOMA). Dr. Berber Bevernage (Ghent University) was the keynote-speaker. He gave some critical remarks with regard to the role historians play within the field of Transitional Justice. Afterwards, eight European historical cases were presented by eight experts. At the end of the day, the half hour of debate proved far too short.

Soma report La Belgique docile/Gewillig België again in he forefront

More than four and a half years after the presentation of the Soma report Docile Belgium in the Belgian Senate, a new proposal of resolution has been introduced “to acknowledge the responsibility of the Belgian authorities for the persecution of the Jews in Belgium―.  Click here to consult it.

If you are a researcher working on the Holocaust, please take the time to help us out!

EHRI (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure) is conducting a quick survey in order to find out how Holocaust researchers discover and use information. The findings of our survey will contribute to the specification of the planned digital infrastructure for Holocaust research at a European level.

Modification program conference on Transitional Justice

The program of the international conference Transitional Justice in Europe: the historical perspective (1945- 2000), taking place at the CEGES/SOMA on 11th January 2012, has been slightly modified. You can find the updated program, containing the necessary information about location and subscriptions, here.

Presentation of the book “Je serai fusillé demain. Les dernières lettres des patriotes belges et français fusillés par l’occupant, 1914-1918―

On Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 2 p.m., in the conference room of the CEGES/SOMA, historians Laurence van Ypersele and Emmanuel Debruyne will present their recent book on farewell letters of Belgians and Frenchmen executed by the occupier in 1914-1918. The presentation will be in French and is an initiative of the The friends of the CEGES/SOMA. International conference on Transitional Justice

On 11 January 2012, SOMA-CEGES organizes an international conference, titled 'Transitional Justice in Europe: the historical perspective (1945-2000)'. Several European experts will present a paper on the way their country dealt with the legacy of occupation and (civil-)war: the persecution of perpetrators, the policy to help the victims and the long-term attempts at reconciliation. You will find the programme here.

EHRI Fellowships in Holocaust Studies 2012

EHRI (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure) invites applications for its fellowship programme for 2012. The EHRI fellowships are intended to support and stimulate Holocaust research by facilitating international access to high-level 'infrastructures of Holocaust research', i.e. key archives and collections related to the Holocaust.

« Ils ont pris les armes pour Hitler » republished as a pocket edition

The study of Flore Plisnier on the armed collaboration in francophone Belgium was published under the scholarly supervision of the Ceges/Soma. The book was a great success and the French edition was rapidly sold out. We are particularly pleased to announce the republication of the French edition. Click here to order.

The Ceges/Soma has started scientific research on the murder of Julien Lahaut

On 16 May, the Ceges/Soma has started research on the circumstances of the murder of Julien Lahaut. The Centre had already been assigned this task by the Senate in December 2008, but the freezing of federal finances delayed the start of the inquiry.

The Ceges/Soma calls for a real debate on collaboration and repression

During the last two weeks, the question of amnesty has once again been the centre of attention. The awkward declarations of the Minister of Justice, following the consideration of the amnesty proposal of the Vlaams Belang, have brutally revived the issue of the repression of the collaboration. The many contradictory and emotional reactions that followed show again how much, after seventy years, the past has yet to be dealt with. More than ever, these reactions are placed in an interpretative scheme linked to the community question.

Guillaume Blondeau

Guillaume Blondeau studied contemporary history at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL). His thesis, which he finished in 2010, concerns the place of women in fiction films of the last twenty years on the subject of the Great War.

Since April 2011 he has been working at the Ceges-Soma for an externally-financed project entrusted to the Centre which aims at collecting witness accounts, films, photographs and other documents for the future 'Centre d'interprétation de l'histoire militaire' of the city of Mons, the opening of which is planned in 2014. The results of his research will be integrated in the future museum itinerary, in cooperation with the city of Mons and a specialised team of museologists.  Has left the Centre on December 31, 2011.

Official launch of European Cooperation on War Studies

On Friday 17 December 2010, the European Cooperation on War Studies (EUCOWAS) was launched in the Ceges-Soma. A study day for young historians on 'War and Occupation in Europe (19th-20th Centuries)' was the first activity of this new cooperation project.

Le congrès des archivistes allemands consacré aux bâtiments abritant les archives Dresde, 29 septembre-2 octobre 2010 Début mars 2009, le siège des archives de la ville de Cologne s'effondra à la suite de travaux dans le métro, attirant l'attention des médias. Le Verband deutscher Archivarinnen und Archivare (VdA) y vit l'opportunité de consacrer en 2010 son congrès annuel (http://www.archivtag.de) aux bâtiments d'archives. La thématique est d'actualité en Allemagne: en effet, nombre de projets de construction ont été élaborés, préparés et réalisés ces dernières décennies et le sont encore aujourd'hui. Les bâtiments d'archives ont déjà constitué dans le passé le thème central de l'Archivtag allemand. La nouveauté de cette édition résidait dans le lien établi avec les concepts d'efficacité et de rentabilité – chez nos voisins de l'Est aussi, il faut épargner.

Une histoire d’avenir: les jeunes historiens ont la parole

Trop souvent, les mémoires de Master disparaissent dans la poussière des caves et greniers des universités. C'est dans cette optique que le CEGES a pris l'initiative de donner la parole à jeunes historiens pour qu'ils présentent les résultats de leurs recherches à l'attention d'un public intéressé comprenant des historiens de métier, des étudiants en histoire ou des personnes intéressées par l'histoire du XXe siècle. Le CEGES organise deux journées d'étude où la parole sera donnée à de jeunes historiens. Deux thèmes ont été choisis pour ouvrir une large discussion entre des historiens issus de toutes les universités. La journée du mercredi 16 mars sera consacrée à l'histoire locale (pour le programme complet, cliquez ici); celle du vendredi 25 mars à l'histoire coloniale (pour le programme complet, cliquez ici).

Looking for the ‘other Germany’

On 6 December 2010 the Ceges/Soma hosted the seminar Das Andere Deutschland on the migration of German refugees to Belgium between 1933 and 1940. The seminar was organised by Myriell Fusser, who works as a volunteer at the Ceges/Soma in the context of the cooperation agreement with the German association Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste (ASF). The goal of the seminar was to start a biographical research project on these refugees with the ASF, the Ceges/Soma and the Universiteit Gent.

Seminar “Ethnic cleansing in 20th century Europe― Report of the study day On 29 November 2010, on the occasion of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union, the seminar “Ethnic cleansing in 20th century Europe― was organised in the Belgian Senate. About 150 persons attended the seminar, including Senators, researchers and (future) teachers third degree secondary education. It was a joint initiative of the Platform Democratie en Burgerzin of the Senate and the Ceges/Soma.

Conference Privacy and Scientific Research: from obstruction to construction Synthesis of the discussion concerning historical research In the context of the Belgian presidency of the European Union, the Commission for the Protection of Privacy (CBPL) organised an international conference entitled: 'Privacy and Scientific Research: from obstruction to construction' in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Brussels, on 22 and 23 November 2010. Among the participants were medical professionals and historians, jurists and ICT-specialists who are confronted with the processing of personal data. The historical part of the conference had for the most part been prepared by the Ceges/Soma and aimed at improving the dialogue between the data protection authorities and the scientific world and at increasing the quality of international research practices.

Launch ‘European Holocaust Research Infrastructure’

On Tuesday 16 November 2010, the project financed by the European Union in the context of the Seventh Framework Programme, 'European Holocaust Research Infrastructure' (EHRI) was officially launched. EHRI wants to support the research on the Holocaust by offering online access to the dispersed data available and thus stimulate the international cooperation between the research teams. The EHRI consortium consists of twenty partners from twelve European countries and Israel and is coordinated by Dr. Conny Kristel, researcher at the NIOD, Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The Ceges/Soma is an active partner of this international project.

Présentation du projet “Enfants de Save―

Le mercredi 16 février 2011 à 14h. seront exposés au CEGES les résultats des recherches menées depuis avril 2010 au sein de l'institution par Sarah Heynssens sur les “Enfants de Save―. L'objectif de ce projet est de reconstituer de manière scientifique les événements relatifs au transfert des enfants issus “d'institutions pour mulâtres― à Save (Rwanda) vers la Belgique à la veille de la décolonisation des territoires coloniaux belges.

Â

War and Occupation in Europe (19-20th Centuries)

17 décembre 2010. Launch-event “European Cooperation on War Studies― (EUCOWAS) In 2010, the Ceges-Soma heralded the birth of the European Cooperation on War Studies (EUCOWAS), an international network for the study of war and society from the French revolution to the present day. At present, partners in the network are the Universiteit Gent, the University of Kent, the Université Lille 3, the Dutch Institute of War Documentation (NIOD) and the Ceges/Soma. This new European cooperation project is a successor and an extension of the Occupations militaries en Europe (OME), a series of lectures financed by the Association nationale de la recherche (ANR) which will come to a close in 2011.

A Fragmented Landscape. Memories of the Second World War in Belgium, 1945-2010

On Friday 29 October 2010, the Ceges/Soma organised the study day 'A Fragmented Landscape. Memories of the Second World War in Belgium, 1945-2010'. It was coordinated by Bruno Benvindo and Evert Peeters, both working at the Ceges/Soma on the project 'Memories of the Second World War in Belgium, 1945-2010'. The purpose was to create a dialogue between the cultural, political and social dimensions of this war memory. Â

Seminar “Ethnic Purges in 20th Century Europe―

At the occasion of the Belgian Presidency of the European Council, the platform Democracy and Citizenship of the Senate will organise on Monday 29 November 2010 in collaboration with the Ceges/Soma a seminar on ethnic purges in Europe in the 20th century. Pieter Lagrou, professor contemporary history at the ULB, will compare the different ethnic purges and will explain their significance for Europe today. The seminar will be followed by workshops on the persecution of the Jews by Nazi Germany, the wars in former Yugoslavia, the expulsion of the Germans after the Second World War and the Armenian tragedy.

The archive of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg goes online

Recently, the launch of the database “Cultural plunder by the Einsatzstab Rosenberg: database of art objects at the Jeu de Paume― (www.errproject.org/jeudepaume) was announced in the press. This database is especially useful for the restitution of art objects, in particular paintings, to possible claimants or to their descendants. However, in the wake of this new database, the completion of another project, especially useful for the historian, must be mentioned. It concerns the online publication of hundreds of thousands digitised ERR-documents kept in the Central State Archives of Ukraine in Kiev (http://tsdavo.org.ua) and in the Bundesarchiv Koblenz (click here) and Berlin (click here).

50 years of independance - Focus on Congo

In 1960, Congo became independent. During the colonial period and particularly after the Second World War, missionaries, entrepreneurs and civil servants, but also explorers, tourists and film makers recorded colonial life on film. Several hundreds of films have survived from this period. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and after a painstaking work of preservation and development of this rich patrimony, the Cinémathèque royale, in collaboration with the Royal Museum of Central Africa, the KADOC and the CEGES-SOMA proposes several initiatives to share these historical documents with the public.

The Children of Save. Stolen or Saved ?

At the eve of the decolonisation of the Belgian colonial territories, some 300 to 400 children of mixed descent were brought from the orphanage of Save (Rwanda) to Belgium where they stayed with foster families. The initiative, the modalities and motives of this 'evacuation' are today still far from clear and constitute the core of this research project.

Sarah Heynssens

Sarah Heynssens studied Contemporary History at the University of Ghent. In her thesis, she made a historical analysis of 20th century international environment policy. She focused in particular on the ideological changes in this policy as a result of new political and economic orientations. In 2009 she obtained a master degree in General Economics with a study on “sustainability― in ecological thinking. Since April 2010 she works at the Ceges/Soma on a research project concerning the Belgian colonial past: “The Children of Save. Stolen or Saved ?―.   Has left the Centre on 30 April 2012.    Â

Peter Moorkens

Peter Moorkens studied contemporary history at Ghent University. His thesis concerned the social-economic history of the 'trekvaart' on the canal from Ghent to Bruges between 1623 and 1939. He worked in several archive centres, among others the VRT Word Archive, the archives of the social welfare department of the city of Ghent, the Museum 'De School van Toen' in Ghent, the Amsab-Institute for Social History, the Liberal Archives, Brussel behoort ons toe/Bruxelles nous appartient (BBOT-BNA). Since May 2006, he continued his activities as documentalist in the audiovisual department of the Ceges/Soma. Since January 2009 he is also in charge of the digitisation department. Â Has left the Centre on 31st May 2012.

Editorial committee CHTP-BEG

Director Rudi Van Doorslaer (SOMA) Chief editor Chantal Kesteloot (CEGES) Editorial staff Alain Colignon (CEGES) & Lieven Saerens (SOMA)Â

Lawrence Van Haecke

Lawrence Van Haecke studied History at the University of Ghent and archivistics at the VUB. He worked on projects for the Erfgoedcel Brugge and the National Museum of Resistance. Since July 2007 he works as a doctoral candidate with scholarship at the CEGES/SOMA on the project 'Justice and Society. Sociopolitical history of justice administration in Belgium 1795-2005'. He studies/carries out a research project on the activities of the justice administration during and shortly after the Second World War. Â Has left the Centre on 31 March 2012. Â

The Ceges/Soma cooperates on a study on the history of Justice

In the framework of the Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAP), a network conducting research for a 5-year period, financed by the Belgian Science Policy, a project on the ?Political and Social History of Belgian Justice since 1795? has started. The Ceges/Soma is one of the partners in this project and studies the impact of both World Wars on the judicial system.