Cegesoma Newsletter
Welcome to CEGESOMA/State Archives of Belgium
CEGESOMA, Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Society, is the Belgian centre of excellence for the history of 20th century conflicts. It carries out research, organises public events and holds document collections. It is since 1 January 2016 the fourth Operational Directory of the State Archives. It is a platform for academic and public activities in Belgium and abroad, in particular with regard to the two World Wars.
In honour of Social Welfare On Saturday 17 March, the magnificent historic Social Welfare building was open to the public on the occasion of the biannual Art Nouveau/Art Deco open days, allowing anyone interested to visit these places usually closed to the public or subject to restricted access. Read more... |
New criteria for the associated researchers of CegeSoma The research on the history of the world wars is not the monopoly of professional historians. Other researchers who are not associated with a university or who are active in disciplines other than history have often made fundamental contributions. CegeSoma has long associated them with its activities, originally as correspondents, later as associated researchers. To better integrate them in the academic activities of CegeSoma, we have recently adapted their status. Read more... |
Update Call for Papers - Languages and the First World War II 2018 ConferenceEurope House London, 10 September - KU Leuven, Brussels Campus, 12 September
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JOURNAL OF BELGIAN HISTORY –The Double Sized Issue of the JBH of 2017 has been published
With considerable delay, the double-sized issue (2-3) of 2017 has been published. Read more... |
The ‘Bijdragen’/’Cahiers’ (1970-1995) added to the digital archive of the JBH The seventeen volumes of the journal 'Bijdragen tot de Geschiedenis van de Tweede Wereldoorlog'/'Cahiers d'histoire de la seconde guerre mondiale' (1970-1995) have been added to the website of the Journal of Belgian History (JBH) (http://www.journalbelgianhistory.be/en). All articles are free and digitally accessible. This means that, for the first time, the digital archive of three related journals have been integrated: the old 'Bijdragen tot de Geschiedenis van de Tweede Wereldoorlog'/'Cahiers d'histoire de la seconde guerre mondiale', the Journal of Belgian History (from 1969) and the 'Bijdragen tot de Eigentijdse Geschiedenis'/'Cahiers d'Histoire du Temps présent' (BEG/CHTP, 1996-2011).Read more... |
The broadcasting programmes of Radio Bruxelles and Zender Brussel digitally accessible in the reading room! Wartime radio was a particularly efficient means of communication. News of the front, official or clandestine speeches, encrypted messages and propaganda broadcasts were communicated to the Belgian citizens on a daily basis. Many families hold memories of evenings gathered around the radio. The radio was a real tool of information and persuasion, used by the allies as well as the occupier. CegeSoma proposes to discover or rediscover the German radio production in Brussels during the Second World War!Read more... |
In Enemy Territory. Experiences of Occupation; transfers, legacies (1914-1949)
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The commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
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Periods of commemoration often offer opportunities in the editorial field. But it must be said that these publications are not necessarily novel historiographical contributions. Where occupation is concerned, it must be concluded that it has been the subject of many studies. So, is there really nothing new to be discovered? 
The commemorations are ever-present in our society today. The centenary of the Great War, the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, and of course the recent terrorist attacks were all themes for commemoration ceremonies. Commemorations are social perceptions that should be studied not only for their historical relevance, but for the way societies have behaved with respect to them. In other words, how and to which end does the present claim the past? 
