[World Jewish congress in Brussels]

The file contains several information about the persecution of Jews in Belgium during the Nazi occupation. To attain this information the World Jewish Congress made a research concerning the situation of Jews before and during the occupation. 90.000 Jews were living in Belgium but this number is not proved, as it was forbidden by law to ask potential discriminating matters in the administration. Untill the Nazi occupation Jews had equal rights. But after the country was invaded by German forces on 10 May 1940, a lot of Jews started to emigrate to other countries, as they had already informations about Hitlers idea to create a new Europe without Jews. Unfortunately the Nazis were very clever, as they tried not to frighten the Jews and the Belgiums until 1941, yet they strained a net around them, to start their cruel antisemitic policy in Belgium. The first period of the Nazi regime was to keep everyone in safety, even some Jews came back from the exile to Belgium. But as Jews were not registert as Jews in Belgium, it was very hard for the Nazis to find them. So in 1941 the policy of the Nazis changed and every Jew had to register himself as a Jew and from that point on everything was taken from them. 42.000 Jews registered 'voluntary' and 3000 did not register themself at all, which saved their lifes. Concentration camps like Breendock and Malin were established. The persecution of Jews known from Germany began also in Belgium, starting from a curfew and segregation and ended in deportation. During the persecution of Belgian Jews by the Nazis around 25,000 were killed and in total, approximately 88,000 Belgians died during the conflict.