Items of the Belgian police force. Collection
Extent and Medium
XXX digitised images (8 objects and XXX documents)
Creator(s)
- Police museum of the Province of Antwerp located in Wommelgem, Belgium
Biographical History
The Police museum of the Province of Antwerp was founded by Bob Berden and was inaugurated on 3 October 1989. The main goal of the museum and its exhibit was to present and honor the history of the police corps and gendarmerie in the province of Antwerp. As a result, the staff collected hundreds of items related to this subject, including uniforms, by purchasing them or by obtaining donations. The museum was located in Fort II, one of the fortresses of the defense line around Antwerp, built between 1859 and 1914 to protect the city. Christof Verelst was the museum’s patrimony manager from XXX until 2018 when the museum was liquidated because of construction work at the site. The governing board of the museum then kindly decided to donate several items to Kazerne Dossin.
Archival History
Several of the objects were purchased by the Police museum, others were donated to the museum in the 1980s by an unidentified donor.
Acquisition
Christof Verelst, curator of the former Police museum of the Province of Antwerp in Wommelgem, Belgium
Scope and Content
This collection consists of: the uniform (trousers, belt, jacket and cap) worn by the Mechelen police corps in 1931-1951 (probably the Interbellum); a war-time white helmet worn by the Antwerp police corps; a black helmet worn by the Antwerp police corps from the First World War until 1942; a white helmet worn by the Deurne police corps from 1942 until the 1960s; a cap introduced by the German occupying authorities and worn by the Antwerp police corps in 1940-1944; a file with documents on the Mobile Police Brigade in Mechelen, 1943-1944.
Accruals
No further accruals are to be expected
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Contact Kazerne Dossin Documentation Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
Places
- Province of Antwerp