Belgium WWII : a new thematic page, in-depth contributions and new entries

A new thematic page

The website now features a new thematic page dedicated to the Persecution of Jews. It was created by the Kazerne Dossin team (Veerle Vanden Daelen, Laurence Schram and Dorien Styven), whose expertise in this field is undisputed. The website now has four thematic pages. As a reminder, these pages allow users to find all online contributions on a given subject in just a handful of clicks without having to perform a separate search by article, person, place, timeline or debate. Moreover, a series of new entries and updated contributions on the theme of the persecution of Jews will be posted online in 2026.

In-depth contributions

A number of entries have been completely updated and offer greatly enriched content. Thanks to Bruno De Wever, the entries Collaboration, Collaboration in Flanders, Algemene SS Vlaanderen, Vlaams Nationaal Verbond (VNV) and Volk en Staat now feature completely new content. Have a look! 
The same applies to contributions relating to the occupying forces and their instruments of repression. Dimitri Roden has greatly enriched the entries on Alexander von Falkenhausen, the Nacht und Nebel decree and deportation. The entry on Léon Degrelle has also been rewritten and expanded by Alain Colignon and Chantal Kesteloot.

New entries

You will also find a series of new entries devoted to the history of the Resistance. Alongside the publication of files of people who obtained the status of resistance fighter through the underground press on the site Resistance in Belgium, on Belgium WWII you can read a contribution by Fabrice Maerten about this exceptional phenomenon in occupied Belgium (Presse clandestine). There is also an entry by Chantal Kesteloot and Fabrice Maerten (Statut de résistance par la presse clandestine) which describes how this status was obtained after the war. Bart Willems, for his part, looks back at the peace parades and celebrations at the war that took place in many towns and cities in the summer of 1945 (Défilés de la paix et célébrations de la fin de la guerre).

Thanks to a trio of authors (Bernard Burton, Sophie Ferooz and Jacques Sweers), you can also discover the remarkable story of Marguerite Paquet.

Finally, in the ‘debates’ section, Babette Weyns invites us to reflect on the many facets of the farewell letters written by those condemned to death ("Honneur et gloire à la résistance": les multiples facettes de la lettre d'adieu) by the occupying forces, while Chantal Kesteloot looks back at the renaming of Rue Edmond Picard, a street which now pays tribute to Andrée Geulen (L’espace public n’est pas nécessairement figé. Quand la rue Edmond Picard devient la rue Andrée Geulen).

Happy reading!