PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
13-15 MAY 2024
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A Message from the Past: Uncovering the Secrets of WWII in Belgium
Step back in time with us and take a new look at WWII Belgium. Our two speakers will transport you 80 years in the past with the words of the German propaganda and the photographs of Brussels during the war. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the power of these historical sources and gain a new perspective on the history of WWII.
German Propaganda in Belgium and Northern France during the Second World War (1940-1944)
Louis Fortemps
PhD candidate
KU Leuven
During the Second World War, Belgium and the two Northern French departments of Nord-Pas-de-Calais were occupied by the III. Reich. To secure social compliance, the “Propaganda Department of Belgium”, was established, composed of German officers from Joseph Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry. Every piece of media (written press, newsreels and radio) released to the occupied communities was under complete control.
They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, and in reality both were effective in furthering the goals of the III Reich. In this talk, we will consider the power of words in war time.
Brussels, a city at war (1940-1944)
Chantal Kesteloot
Researcher at Arch Belgium
Arch Belgium
Photography can be a weapon of war, but it can also be a powerful propaganda tool. We have thousands of photographs showing us Brussels during the Second World War. Press photographs, private collections, photographs from police investigations... What do they show us? Do they allow us to discover the history of an occupied city? Do they change the way we look at writing this history? What are the limits or blind spots of the image? Is it only a black and white story?
