Welcome to CegeSoma (State Archives)

Who are we? CegeSoma is the fourth operational direction of the State Archives and the Belgian centre of expertise for the history of 20th century conflicts. We conduct fundamental historical research, develop public history projects, conserve archives and documentation and are engaged in societal debate.

Updates

1943 in occupied Belgium: a turning point?

Belgium's corporate history

CegeSoma inventory operation, October 2 - 6, 2023

Latest news on the FED-tWIN BELCOWAR project

Spaak Paul Henri, 1946-1947 (RTBF donation - Belgian personalities), photo no. 164263, rights reserved CegeSoma/State Archives

Album Amicorum for Bruno De Wever, vice chairman of our scientific committee

Themes

World War I

Dans le Saillant des Ardennes, Saint Vith 1945, photo n° 96546, collection Algoet, © CegeSoma/Archives de l'Etat

World War II

Cold War

CegeSoma in the spotlight

Focus

Belgian volunteers during the Korean War: 1950-1953, photo no. 15202 (Louis Verdijck Collection, in the Korean Volunteer Battalion), Rights reserved, Cegesoma/State Archives.

Wanted: photos, letters and other archives on Belgium and the Korean War!

It was seventy years ago last summer that the Korean War (1950-1953) ended in an armistice. A real peace never happened. In the summer of 2025, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the start of the war.

Conference

Weg van ‘t Stad! De Antwerpse exodus naar West-Vlaanderen 1944-1945 (Away from the City ! The Antwerp exodus to West Flanders 1944-1945)

Conference (in Dutch) with guest Patrick Buyse An interview led by Bruno De Wever

The autumn of 1944 was extremely hard on the greater Antwerp area. German V1 and V2 strikes killed 3,515 people. The...Read more