Archival Records:

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Created in 2014 by Filip Strubbe and Monique De Ruette of the Belgian State Archives, this is the inventory in Dutch of the records of the Service de Contrôle sur l’Exportation et la Circulation des Œuvres d’Art - Dienst voor Controle van de Uitvoer en Circulatie van Kunstwerken (DCUCK). The inventory in French is scheduled to appear in 2022-2023.

In their introduction, the authors write:

'The Decree Law of 19 September 1945, better known as the 'Buisseret Law' (after Auguste Buisseret, Minister of Public Education), provided for the control of the import, circulation and export of paintings, sculptures, carpets, brassware and sculpted furniture dating from before 1801. From February 1946 to the end of 1949, the Dienst voor Controle van de Uitvoer en Circulatie van Kunstwerken (DCUCK), which had been set up for this purpose, was in charge of this task. The dissolution of the service and the loss of the restrictions on the import and circulation of works of art within Belgium from 1950 on did not, however, mean the end of all forms of control. The export of works of art more than 100 years old would continue to be subject to a permit issued by the Central Office for Contingents and Licences under the Ministry of Economic Affairs until the end of 1955, after prior advice from the former head of the DCUCK."

Most of the descriptions are files referring to the names of individuals, dealers, galleries, artworks, etc, which were subject to the Service regulations, so the language barrier is minimal. The finding aid can be word searched for any of the above.

To see the inventory as a PDF in Dutch, click here. To access it on the Belgium State Archives website, go to https://search.arch.be/nl/zoeken-naar-archieven/zoekresultaat/ead/index/zoekterm/circulatie/eadid/BE-A0510_006979_006809_DUT where it has the title 'Inventaris van het archief van het Ministerie van Openbaar Onderwijs. Bestuur van Schone Kunsten en Letteren. Dienst voor Controle van de Uitvoer en Circulatie van Kunstwerken, 1946-1956'.

Source:
Belgium State Archives further correspondence 9 December 2021

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