Welcome to the CEGES-SOMA
The Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society is a public federal research institution which collects documentation and carries out research on the wars and conflicts of the twentieth century and their impact on Belgium.
Since 1969, the Centre collects archives, books, periodicals, newspapers, photographs, interviews, posters and leaflets. This documentation is accessible through the Pallas integrated information system and can be consulted in the reading room of the monumental buildings at the Square de l'Aviation in Brussels.
The Ceges/Soma recruits...The Ceges/Soma recruits a licentiate/master (m/f) in contemporary history for a 9-month contract from 1 April 2010. |
La triplette en couverture de “Bruxelles sous l’Occupation” dévoile ses secretsLa parution du premier volume de la série “Villes en guerre” nous permet aujourd'hui de retracer l'histoire de cette photo, ou plus précisément de cet étrange vélo. Un des cyclistes photographiés, Georges Paumen, s'est en effet reconnu sur le cliché et a eu l'excellente idée de nous contacter pour nous narrer ses souvenirs de guerre liés à cet engin.Read more... |
Your family pictures on Congo of the period from 1955 to 1965 are of interest to us !The Ceges/Soma is preparing a publication in the context of the commemorations in 2010 of the independence of Congo. For this purpose, it has started to collect photographs made by private persons on Congo in the period from 1955 to 1965.Read more... |
Privacy & historical researchDuring the Belgian Presidency of the European Union, the Commission for the Protection of Privacy (CPP) organises in November 2010 an international conference on 'privacy and historical research'. As a preparation for the historical component of this conference, the Commission has entrusted the Ceges/Soma with a research project that aims at giving an overview (on the basis of literature and a survey) of the different ways historical research deals with the Privacy Law and Directive.Read more... |
Cities at WarA collection beyond the clichés Newly published by the publishing house Luc Pire is the first of a series of photographic albums entitled Villes en guerre (Cities at War). It is dedicated to the city of Brussels (to order it, click here). The series will also comprise a volume on Antwerp, the Flemish cities, the Walloon cities and “War in the Village”. A thematic overview outlines the work and moulds the concept which of course leaves ample room for the image in its specific context. The scientific team of the Ceges/Soma is in charge of the realisation of the proposed volumes. |
Female work in the "E. Reitz Uniformwerke" in Merksem, 1940-1944This study examines women's work in the German war industry in Belgium. The participation and forced employment of Belgian women in the German war industry during the Second World War is a little known phenomenon. To fill this void, Hannelore Vandebroek started a research project at the Ceges/Soma in 2007 which probes the experiences of women working for the German occupier. The focus of her study lies mainly with women working in Germany. A complementary study is undertaken since November 2009 by Nel de Mûelenaere, who takes a look at women's work in the German war industry in Belgium. This research is carried out through a case study of female workers of the E. Reitz Uniformwerke in Merksem.Read more... |
Life in the internment camps for political delinquents, 1944-1950A comparison between the Netherlands and Belgium After the Second World War, more than 100,000 persons suspected of collaboration were arrested in both countries. At first, men, women and children, young and old, were interned together. The hundreds of internment camps were established provisionally, the staff was often incompetent and there was a shortage of food and other goods. As a result, a lot of improvising was done by the camp personnel as well as by the internees. |
N° 21 of the CHTP/BEG has been published !
The N° 21 of the Cahiers d'Histoire du Temps présent / Bijdragen tot de Eigentijdse Geschiedenis has been published. The articles in this issue reflect the research in the field of contemporary history at the various universities: historiography of the repression of collaboration, the establishment of Médecins sans frontières Belgium, intelligence networks in the Belgian eastern cantons (Ost-kantone) and Walloon militants advocating French annexation of Wallonia. Also present are chronicles on the historiography of German-speaking Belgium, Belgian foreign policy, the question of euthanasia and the section Library (Reviews). |
