CIRIEC 50 years in From the shores of Lake Geneva to the banks of the Meuse a relocation story With the support of the Presidency of the Walloon Government With the support of the Minister of Research of the Walloon Region With the support of the Minister of Economy, Employment, Foreign Trade and Cultural Heritage

Avec le soutien du Ministre de la Recherche scientifique de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale Met de steun van de Minister van Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek van het Hoofdstedelijk Gewest With the support of the Minister of Scientific Research of the Brussels Capital Region With the support of the Presidency of the Walloon Government With the support of the Minister of Research of the Walloon Region With the support of the Minister of Economy, Employment, Foreign Trade and Cultural 1957 - 2007 Heritage CIRIEC: 50 years in Belgium

Avec le soutien du Ministre de la Recherche scientifique From the shores of Lake Geneva to the de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale banks of the Meuse - a relocation story Met de steun van de Minister van Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest With the support of the Minister of Scientific Research of the Brussels Capital Region

 Acknowledgements

The IHOES would particularly like to thank three of CIRIEC’s “elders”: Germaine Calame, Yvonne Gélard and Roger Ramaekers, as well as Messrs Paul Delbouille, Éric Geerkens and Pierre Haverland, who added so much to this text through their first- hand accounts, the material they provided or by reading and commenting on drafts. Our thanks also go to the whole CIRIEC team for being so generous with their time and so efficient.

The IHOES (Worker, Economic and Social Historical Institute)

Photography credits:

Germaine Calame; CARHOP; CIRIEC; Coopérateur suisse; Paul Delbouille; Desarcy- Robyns Collection – Museum of Walloon Life (Province of Liège); Pierre Haverland; IHOES.

All of the persons mentioned in the text are listed at the end, together with their main roles, although these are given for information only.

Print : Graphic design : Chauveheid INFOREF asbl ISBN : 978-2-9600129-2-7 rue Saint-Laurent, 1-3 rue E. Wacken, 1B BE - 4970 Stavelot BE - 4000 Liège © CIRIEC asbl, Liège, 2007.

 Table of contents

Preface 5

Introduction 9 I. CIRIEC: from small beginnings to international recognition (1947-1953) 9 1. Founding context and objectives 9 2. The early years (1947-1953) 12 3. The Geneva Congress and the recognition of CIRIEC at international level 15 II. The early days of CIRIEC in Belgium (1949-1957) 20 1. The Liège provincial section of CIRIEC (1949-1951) 20 2. Official founding of the Belgian section 24 3. The Second International Collective Economy Congress 28 (Liège, 17th-20th September 1955) 4. Reorganisation as a prelude to development 32 III. The issue of moving CIRIEC International’s headquarters (1954-1957) 36 1. The reasons behind the move and the first attempt (1954) 36 2. Liège establishes itself as the future CIRIEC International headquarters 38 A. Outline of CIRIEC’s national sections in 1956 39 B. Arguments in favour of Liège 44 3. The decision to move 47 IV. Securing Edgard Milhaud’s legacy (1957-1961) 49 1. Legal and financial problems 50 2. The work of CIRIEC from Puteaux to Vienna (1957-1961) 52 3. CIRIEC and the Annals pass into Belgian hands 58

Conclusion 65 List of abbreviations 66 List of persons mentioned in the text 68

  Preface

CIRIEC set up its headquarters in Belgium (Liège) 50 years ago. It was at the 3rd CIRIEC Congress held in Paris (Puteaux) in May 1957 that the members of the CIRIEC general assembly decided to move the international organisation’s headquarters from Geneva to Liège, entrusting its Belgian section with the task of running the international association’s permanent secretariat.

This anniversary coincides with CIRIEC’s own 60th birthday, and comes j