A social history of the Resistance in small Belgian communes

On April 17, CegeSoma is pleased to invite you to the presentation of the conclusions of the second UCLouvain - University of Antwerp interuniversity seminar on local Resistance in 1940-1944. After an overview by seminar organizers, the students involved will present the cases of over twenty communes in the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut (Charleroi country and Centre region) and the Brussels region.

Afternoon program

• 2:00 pm: Introduction - Fabrice Maerten (CegeSoma/State Archives)
• 2:10pm: Presentation of general seminar results - Marnix Beyen (UAntwerpen) & Emmanuel Debruyne (UCLouvain)
• 2:30 pm: Thematic presentations by UCLouvain and UAntwerpen students + time for discussion
  • Resistance and urbanization. How do communities on the outskirts of large, expanding conurbations develop a particular kind of resistance?
  • Local hegemony? How does a movement manage to dominate local resistance?
  • Producing for the occupier; resisting the occupier. How can large industrial plants become local centers of resistance?
  • Collaboration: hindering or driving resistance? To what extent was the development of resistance locally affected by that of collaboration?
  • Resistance in neighborhoods. How do contrasting neighborhoods within the same commune develop specific forms of resistance?
  • The commune as a place of resistance. Does the commune provide a structuring framework for local resistance, or is it just another spatial extension of the underground struggle?
  • Places of violence? In what ways did local factors encourage or discourage violent forms of resistance?
• 4:30 pm: Reflections on the results of the seminar - Nico Wouters (director of CegeSoma)