The State Archives publishes a series of guides in print and digital format. Below you find selection of recently published guides. All of our guides are referenced in our webshop.

• Thematic guides
• Guides to the archival holdings conserved at the State Archives

Thematic guides

1. Each House has a History: Guide to the sources about private real estate heritage

Have you ever wondered what is the history of your house or private real estate? Since September 2016, a new publication guides you through the different possibilities to exploit the multitude of sources available on the matter, many of which are conserved at the State Archives. The publication is for sale in print version for € 20 at the State Archives or via publicat@arch.be (not including shipping costs).

• DRUEZ Laurence, Chaque maison a son histoire, Guide des sources relatives au patrimoine immobilier privé, Dossier no. 19, IPW, Namur, 2016, 232 pages.

2. Sources Guide for the History of the Jewish Population and Judaism in Belgium

The sources about Judaism and Jewish people in Belgium are hardly explored and scattered across a large number of institutions. The guide Sources pour l'histoire des populations juives et du judaïsme en Belgique published in 2017 is intended to remedy this situation. The 1,328 pages volume can be purchased via publicat@arch.be at € 49.95 (plus € 8 per copy for shipping to Belgium or € 17 per copy for shipping to the rest of Europe). 

3. First World War Sources Guide

This guide brings together all available information about documents pertaining to the First World War in Belgium. Since 2010, it is available as print edition. An updated version is available since 2014 and can be purchased via our e-book shop.

• VANDEN BOSCH H., AMARA M. and D’HOOGHE V., under the direction of TALLIER P.-A., Guide des sources de la Première Guerre Mondiale en Belgique - Archievenoverzicht betreffende de Eerste Wereldoorlog in België, series Études sur la Première Guerre mondiale no. 17, publ. No. 4,921, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2010, 1,057 p., € 54 as print edition or € 9.99 as digital edition (EPUB format) via our e-book shop.

4. Sources Guide to Military Jurisdictions

The archives about military jurisdictions allow you to:

• Find information about a family member put on trial before a military court (War Tribunal and Military Prosecutor’s Office).
• Study the repression of ‘uncivil behaviour’ after the Second World War.

This guide to the military jurisdictions is published by the National Archives of Belgium and provides a clear overview of the available sources. It allows you to easily find the archives you are looking for and who to contact in order to access them. Also, the guide gives you historical background information about the institution in question. The guide is avialable online and can be purchased as print edition.

• DROSSENS Paul, MARTENS Christophe and PICRON Delphine, Guide de sources des juridictions militaires, series Guides 90, publ. 5,460, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2015 (PDF file)

5. Sources Guide to the Public Institutions in the Principality of Liège

In the 10^th century, the bishopric of Liège was among the most powerful in the Holy Roman Empire and laid the foundations for the creation of the Principality of Liège. Although its lace‑like shaped territory was almost fully encompassed by the Spanish Netherlands and later the Austrian Netherlands, Liège remained independent until its annexation by France in the late 18^th century. For eight centuries, the state of Liège had a unique and complex institutional structure. The guide to these public institutions of the Principality of Liège (980-1794) is available in print and digital version.

• DUBOIS Sébastien, DEMOULIN Bruno and KUPPER Jean-Louis (under the direction of), Les institutions publiques de la principauté de Liège (980-1794), series Studia 133, publ. No. 5,100, € 50 (plus shipping costs).

6. Archives Guide to Liège Steelworks

This 300 pages strong guide to the archives of steel companies of the Liège region allows researchers to quickly identify the archival holdings of the Liège steel industry, thereby making it easier and faster to find the desired documents among holdings. The guide lists archives from 1799 to 2005 conserved by public or private archives institutions and accessible for research. The guide can be purchased as print edition at the State Archives in Liège or via publicat@arch.be.

• DELVAUX Anne-Catherine, Guide des archives de la sidérurgie liégeoise, série Guides 78, publ. No. 5,114, Brussels, 2012, 329 pages, € 17 plus shipping costs. 

7. French-Belgian Cross-Border Guide

Some parts of the common history of Belgium and France are still unknown. The present research guide is available online and lists all public and private archives on the matter conserved at the National Archives of Belgium. Please find mor einformationabout the guide in the introduction.

8. Guide: Inter-Municipal Organisations in Belgium

This guide is available online and lists all existing and past inter-municipal organisations, including an explanatory note in PDF format (for example: Inter-municipal slaughterhouse of the Charleroi region). A print edition can be purchased at the shop of the National Archives of Belgium in Brussels.

• SURDIACOURT N., Ensemble, on est plus fort ! : Les intercommunales en Belgique, des origines à nos jours, series Guides no. 80, publ. 5,162, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2012, € 50 plus shipping costs.

9.  Latin Schools

Latin schools played a major role in education in the southern Netherlands in the early modern times. The inventory is available online in Dutch only and draws an image of the Latin school education landscape and its related archives.

Guides to the archival holdings of the State Archives

The State Archives conserves over 315 km of archival holdings in 20 repositories throughout the country. All archives guides are referenced in our Webshop. Below you find our latest publications.

1. Guide to the holdings and collections of the State Archives in Liège

The paper edition was published in 2012 (publ. no. 5,152) is available in the reading room of the State Archives in Liège. It can also be purchased at the State Archives in Liège, from the shop of the National Archives of Belgium or via publicat@arch.be at € 52 (plus shipping costs).

2. Guide to the holdings and collections of the State Archives in Louvain-la-Neuve

In order to give you an oversight of the many resources conserved at the repository in Louvain-la-Neuve, the State Archives has published a guide to the holdings and collections in 2009. It is available as a print edition and fills two volumes with a total of 833 pages.

• GODINAS Julie and HENIN Catherine, (dir.) DE MOREAU DE GERBEHAYE Claude, Archives de l’État à Louvain-la-Neuve. Guide des fonds et collections (édition 2008), series Guides 71, publication no. 4,758, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2009, 2 vol., 833 pages, € 30 (plus shipping costs).

3. Guide to the holdings and collections of the state Archives in Saint-Hubert

• SCHOLTES Thierry, Archives de l'État à Saint-Hubert : Guide des fonds et collections (édition 2007), series Guides 65, publication no. 4,636, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2008.

4. Guide to the holdings and collections of the State Archives in Mons

• HONNORÉ Laurent, Guide des fonds et collections des Archives de l'État à Mons, series Guides 61, publication no. 4,546, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2006.

5. Guide to the holdings and collections of the State Archives in Namur

• BODART Emmanuel, Guide des fonds et collections des Archives de l'État à Namur, series Guides 60, publication no. 4,311, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2004.

6. Guide to the holdings and collections of the State Archives in Eupen

• MINKE A., Die Bestände des Staatsarchivs in Eupen. Allgemeine Übersicht (Gerichtsbezirk Eupen). 2. erweiterte und verbesserte Auflage, series Guides 48, publication no. 3,128, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2000.

7. Sources Guide for the State Archives in Gent 

This guide is available in Dutch only and provides an overview of the archives conserved at the State Archives in Gent.

8. Sources Guide for the State Archives in Hasselt

• VAN DER EYCKEN Johan, Overzichten van de archieven en verzamelingen van het Rijksarchief te Hasselt : I, Archieven van overheidsinstellingen vanaf 1795 (tot 2009), series Guides 74, publication no. 4,894, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2010, € 15 (plus shipping costs).

• VAN DER EYCKEN Johan, Overzichten van de archieven en verzamelingen van het Rijksarchief te Hasselt : II, Archieven van overheidsinstellingen tot 1795, series Guides 81, publication no. 5,264, National Archives of Belgium, Brussels, 2013, € 30 (plus shipping costs).