Identifying, describing and digitizing Belgian judicial records related to the repression of international crimes, 1914-2014

The aim of this project is to identify, describe and digitize judicial records produced by Belgian jurisdictions in the context of post-conflict processes from 1914 to 2014. It focuses on archives related to the repression of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide. These legal sources will be integrated into a digital and multidisciplinary online research tool, accessible through the “Legal Tools” developed by the International Criminal Court and through the Belgian National Archives web portal, a partner in the IAP. The project focuses on three particular chronological moments. The first milestone is related to the attempts to judge German war criminals in the 1920s. The trials of German war criminals in the 1940s are the second important moment in this historical overview. Finally, the specific aspects of the extraterritorial competence of Belgium through the 1990s constitute the third component of the project. Large parts of the considered data is still unknown to researchers, difficult to access and very much under-used, which reinforces the importance of promoting interdisciplinary scientific research on these sources. Taking into consideration the complete variety of trial files and jurisprudence, this project seeks to contribute to a critical history of the role of justice after mass violence and war.

In parallel, a Belspo “Brain” Project (Jusinbellgium) continues and further develops this research, involving the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the National Archives, the KU Leuven and the International research and documentation centre for war crimes trials in Marburg, Germany.