Fondation de la Mémoire Contemporaine / Stichting voor de Eigentijdse Herinnering
- Foundation of Contemporary Memory
- FMC-SEH
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History
The Contemporary Memory Foundation was established in 1994 as an Academic Institute of Research. Based in Brussels, the Foundation works in close partnership with the Interdisciplinary Center for Religions and Secularism Studies department (CIERL – Centre interdisciplinaire d’Etude des Religions et de la Laïcité) of the Brussels Free University (ULB – Université Libre de Bruxelles). The Foundation brings to light the history of the Jews in Belgium and their contribution to Belgian society during the 20th century, and makes these topics known to the public at large through their publications.
Records Management and Collecting Policies
The Contemporary Memory Foundation conducts :
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Interviews of eyewitnesses: The Foundation records oral accounts of life stories (audio and/or video) that show the diversity of life trajectories of Jews in Belgium before, during and after WWII. Other interviews are carried out within the framework of specific thematic research conducted by the researchers of the Foundation. Each Interview amounts usually to many hours of recording. These recordings are accessible to the public in our Documentation Center, subject to conditions of confidentiality requested by the eyewitnesses telling their stories.
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Historical research: The Foundation carries out research on the history of Jews in Belgium in the 20th century
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Biographies: The Foundation collects documents that shed light on the lives and deeds of significant personalities of the Belgian Jewish Community and it is currently building a biographic database that focuses on these personalities. These biographic files are accessible to the public in our Documentation Center.
Archival and Other Holdings
The following are available for consultation at the documentation center:
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Interviews (and transcripts) carried out or collected by the Foundation, subject to conditions of confidentiality requested by interviewed eyewitnesses
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Biographic files
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Press reviews
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Documents and activity reports published by Jewish and non-Jewish Community associations and various institutions
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A photographic library, which collects iconographic documents provided by interviewed eyewitnesses.
Conditions of Access
The Contemporary Memory Foundation’s Documentation Center is accessible by appointment to all persons conducting a relevant specialised research.
Sources
Foundation of Contemporary Memory website consulted on 24/07/2019
Pierre-Alain Tallier (dir.), Gertjan Desmet & Pascale Falek-Alhadeff, Sources pour l'histoire des populations juives et du judaïsme en Belgique/Bronnen voor de geschiedenis van de Joden en het Jodendom in België, 19de-21ste eeuw, Brussel, ARA-AGR/Avant-Propos, 2016, 1,328 p.