Antwerp City Council criticised for uncritical webpage on August Borms who collaborated with Nazis
The City of Antwerp has been criticised for the way in which the Borms House is mentioned on the official city website. August Borms was convicted in 1946 for collaborating with the Nazis and executed. On the City of Antwerp website Borms is only referred to as ‘a leader of Flemish nationalism’. The city speaks of neutral information. Critics of a lack of interpretation.
The Borms House is a museum and a documentation and archive centre about the history of the Flemish movement. It is named after August Borms (1878-1946), a Flemish nationalist leader.” So it says on the website of the City of Antwerp in the overview of all documentation centres in the city. But is that correct and appropriate?
In the aftermath of the news about the destruction of Borms’ grave in Merksem, a fuss arose on social media about this uncritical text. Borms was more than just a leader of the Flemish movement. He collaborated during the First and Second World War, was convicted twice and finally put to death.
“Borms house glorifies collaboration”.
Specialist historians are also frowning. “The Bormshuis is a private initiative where you will not find the words collaboration and Nazism. They glorify the figure of Borms without taking scientific insights into account,” says historian Koen Aerts (UGent) who specialises in the matter. “Even within the collaboration, some thought Borms went too far. That interpretation is completely missing in the Borms House.”
Koen Aerts also points to the typically Flemish relationship with controversial figures from the collaboration past. “Something like the Bormshuis would be unthinkable in the Netherlands or Wallonia. The historian has reservations about the approach of the city of Antwerp on its site. “What it says is not wrong, but anything but complete. You can wonder if the Bormshuis belongs on an official city website in this uncritical way,” he says.
City responds to criticism: neutral text
In a reaction, the City of Antwerp defends the presence of the Bormshuis on its official website. “We mention the Bormshuis because, as part of a heritage covenant with Flanders, we have to make all the documentation centres on our territory known to the general public,” says city spokesman Dirk Delechambre. Will the text be adapted with more information about Borms’ role in the collaboration? “This text is neutral and will remain so,” concludes Delechambre. No political representatives from the city council wanted to respond.
The same plausible deniability shit as the Flemish parliament when they put portraits of Borms and Staf Declerq last year. Flemish nationalism thanks most of its existence to the radicalization under nazism. Any remaining moderates left the flemish movement after VNV started rounding up jews. The hardcore ex-Volksunie politicians that we have left like De Wever or Bourgeois still idolize these collaborators for their activism. Half of NVA and VB still appear at birthday parties and funerals of VMO members
Antwerpen zit nog vol collaborateurs.
You’d think they wouldn’t want to associate themselves with nazis but here we are…
Misschien moeten ze een bordje met duiding aan de website hangen. Want het was natuurlijk helemaal niet zo bedoeld en het is jammer dat sommige groepen er aanstoot aan nemen.
/s voor alle duidelijkheid.
Mark my words: Belgie zal nog eerder in het reine zijn met hun kolonisatieverleden dan Vlaanderen met hun landverraadverleden.
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Antwerp City Council criticised for uncritical webpage on August Borms who collaborated with Nazis
The City of Antwerp has been criticised for the way in which the Borms House is mentioned on the official city website. August Borms was convicted in 1946 for collaborating with the Nazis and executed. On the City of Antwerp website Borms is only referred to as ‘a leader of Flemish nationalism’. The city speaks of neutral information. Critics of a lack of interpretation.
The Borms House is a museum and a documentation and archive centre about the history of the Flemish movement. It is named after August Borms (1878-1946), a Flemish nationalist leader.” So it says on the website of the City of Antwerp in the overview of all documentation centres in the city. But is that correct and appropriate?
In the aftermath of the news about the destruction of Borms’ grave in Merksem, a fuss arose on social media about this uncritical text. Borms was more than just a leader of the Flemish movement. He collaborated during the First and Second World War, was convicted twice and finally put to death.
“Borms house glorifies collaboration”.
Specialist historians are also frowning. “The Bormshuis is a private initiative where you will not find the words collaboration and Nazism. They glorify the figure of Borms without taking scientific insights into account,” says historian Koen Aerts (UGent) who specialises in the matter. “Even within the collaboration, some thought Borms went too far. That interpretation is completely missing in the Borms House.”
Koen Aerts also points to the typically Flemish relationship with controversial figures from the collaboration past. “Something like the Bormshuis would be unthinkable in the Netherlands or Wallonia. The historian has reservations about the approach of the city of Antwerp on its site. “What it says is not wrong, but anything but complete. You can wonder if the Bormshuis belongs on an official city website in this uncritical way,” he says.
City responds to criticism: neutral text
In a reaction, the City of Antwerp defends the presence of the Bormshuis on its official website. “We mention the Bormshuis because, as part of a heritage covenant with Flanders, we have to make all the documentation centres on our territory known to the general public,” says city spokesman Dirk Delechambre. Will the text be adapted with more information about Borms’ role in the collaboration? “This text is neutral and will remain so,” concludes Delechambre. No political representatives from the city council wanted to respond.
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The same plausible deniability shit as the Flemish parliament when they put portraits of Borms and Staf Declerq last year. Flemish nationalism thanks most of its existence to the radicalization under nazism. Any remaining moderates left the flemish movement after VNV started rounding up jews. The hardcore ex-Volksunie politicians that we have left like De Wever or Bourgeois still idolize these collaborators for their activism. Half of NVA and VB still appear at birthday parties and funerals of VMO members
Antwerpen zit nog vol collaborateurs.
You’d think they wouldn’t want to associate themselves with nazis but here we are…
Misschien moeten ze een bordje met duiding aan de website hangen. Want het was natuurlijk helemaal niet zo bedoeld en het is jammer dat sommige groepen er aanstoot aan nemen.
/s voor alle duidelijkheid.
Mark my words: Belgie zal nog eerder in het reine zijn met hun kolonisatieverleden dan Vlaanderen met hun landverraadverleden.