Section Administrative Archives

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

Government

This collection includes the archives of the legislative power and the executives of the City.

This means the Office of the Mayor and the Aldermen, the Secretariat of the City and the Assemblies.

Organization and staff

This department manages services so varied as that of Legal affairs, Protocols, the Public relations, the House of participation and citizenship, the Eco-Advice, the Staff.

Management of the heritage

The management of the heritage is a source for studying the evolution of the City from the point of view of architecture, of town planning, of trade, of culture or hygiene. This collection represents slaughterhouses, markets, public baths, fire stations, schools, certain theaters,...

Finances and tax system

The collection of Finances is one of the most important of the Archives, both by the quantity of the documents and by their interest. This collection is the faithful reflection of the economic life of Brussels: the payment for the civil servants, the payment of invoices to the suppliers, the management of subsidies and debt, collection of taxes,...

Registry office and population

This department includes the Central Secretariat of the Demography Department, the Registry office, the administration of the Foreigners, and the Population service.

Electoral Affairs

This collection is essentially established by electoral rolls since 1830 until our days.

Military

The collection of the 'militia' includes essentially information of bibliographic order (registrations, drawing lots, militiamen in leave, deserters and objectors) and medical (exemptions, Council of Militia). This information is a gold mine for the genealogists and for military historians.

Law, order and safety

The archives of the Police are a source of very precious information for a large number of economic and social activities of the Brusselses.The police controls (or controlled) markets, hotels, prostitution, public hygiene, factories, shows, foreigners, anarchists or communists.

Public health

Internal service for the Protection and the prevention at Work (S.I.P.P.T).

Public works and town planning

The archives of the Public works are essentially established by building permits and plans about public roads and Brussels buildings.

Education

The archives of Public education are of big importance for the knowledge of the Brussels cultural and school life. It allows to follow the evolution of the various levels of education since the end of the 18^th century (including the Academy of Arts).

Culture, Sports and Leisure activities

The major part of these files concerns three Brussels theatres (La Monnaie, Le Parc and the Koninglijke Vlaamse Schouwburg).

The collection of Sports is about measures taken by the municipal administration of Brussels since the end of the Second World war to promote the sports activities and multiply the sports installations in Brussels.

The collection of Youth is about measures taken by the municipal administration of Brussels in the second half of the 20^th century to promote leisure activities for young people.

Social affairs

The collection of Social affairs is about measures of social work taken by the municipal administration of Brussels since the second half of the 19^th century. These were measures for victims of disasters, insane persons, the needy, the discriminated, disabled and old persons, the victims of both world wars, young people,...

Administrative supervision (CPAS - Religions - Mont de Piété)

The collection of public charity is about measures of social work taken by the municipal administration of Brussels since the end of the 18^th century in favour of the needy and discriminated inhabitants.

Religions and burials

The collection of religions treats religious practices and the relations between the municipal authority and the various religions recognized during French period. It contains information on churches, convents and buildings of worship installed on the territory of the city.

The information contained in the registers of burials is interesting from a demographic and sociological point of view. We also find the plans of cemeteries here.