The Resistance (1940-1945)

1. The main archival fonds kept at CegeSoma and elsewhere:

The resistance during the Second World War gave rise, after the conflict, to various statuses of national recognition, generating hundreds of thousands of personal files.

The status of armed resistance fighter

• The official personal files of the majority of armed resistance fighters are kept in the National Archives of Belgium (Rue de Ruysbroeck 2-6 in 1000 Brussels). Contact: archives.generales@arch.be - 02/513.76.80. The other files on armed resistance fighters, including those relating to almost all persons whose names begin with the letters A and B, are kept together with their individual military files at the "Notary's" section of the Ministry of Defense (Rue d'Evere 1, block 6 C, 1140 Evere). Contact: arch@mil.be.
• The major armed resistance organizations created their own personal files.
  • Those of the Secret Army (AS/GL), the Belgian National Movement (MNB/BNB) and the Liberation Army (AL./BL) are kept at the General Service of Intelligence and Security. Section Archives of Defense (Queen Elisabeth Quarter, block 15, rue d'Evere, 1 to 1140 Evere). Contact: Eva Muys (eva.muys@mil.be or info.ca@mil.be).
  • Those of the Independent Front (FI/OF) are kept in the National Museum of the Resistance of Belgium (Van Lint Street, 14 in 1070 Anderlecht). Contact: Samuel Pauwels.
  • The files of the following groups are kept at CegeSoma: « Affranchis », « Insoumis », Group G, Kempisch Legioen, L. 100, the National Royalist Movement (MNR/NKB), Nola, the Belgian Military Resistance Organization, Service D and the Witte Brigade are kept at CegeSoma (see our online catalog Pallas).

The statutes of political prisoner, civil resistance fighter and resistance fighter by the underground press

• The personal files of political prisoners, civil resistance members and underground press resistance members  are kept at the archives of the Service for War Victims (Service Archives des Victimes de la Guerre), sharing the same building with CegeSoma (square de l'Aviation, 31 in 1070 Brussels). Contact: Alexandra Matagne  or Gert De Prins.

The status of intelligence and action agent

• The personal files of the intelligence and action agents are kept by CegeSoma. In order to consult them, it is necessary to obtain prior authorization from the Belgian State Security Service, by email : info-arch@vsse.be.
  Your request will take longer to process, as the State Security Department carries out more stringent checks on these files. If a file can be declassified immediately, the waiting time will be about one month. If it contains secret documents that must be declassified, the waiting time is up to three months. Thank you for your understanding.

Finally, CegeSoma's library and archives (paper + images and sounds) are full of information allowing to contextualize the action of resistance fighters. An exploration of our online catalog Pallas also provides additional information on a certain number of resistance fighters.

2. Where to find additional information?

• The Belgium WWII website already offers a thematic page on the history of the Resistance.

• GOTOVITCH, José, Du Rouge au Tricolore : Les Communistes belges de 1939 à 1944 : Un aspect de l'histoire de la Résistance en Belgique, CArCoB, 2018.
• DEBRUYNE Emmanuel, La guerre secrète des espions belges 1940-1944, Bruxelles, Racine, 2008.
• VERHOEYEN Etienne, « Quatrième partie : la résistance » in La Belgique occupée. De l’an 40 à la Libération, De Boeck-Wesmael, Bruxelles, 1994, p. 331-511.
• MAERTEN, Fabrice (dir.), Papy était-il un héros? Sur les traces des hommes et des femmes dans la Résistance pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Racine, Bruxelles, 2020, 352 p.

If you plan to visit our reading room, please prepare your visit well in advance

If you need further information, please contact us by e-mail: cegesoma@arch.be.