About us

 
The Belgian National Institute for Veterans and Victims of War

The Belgian National Institute for Veterans and Victims of War is responsible for the gratitude of the Belgian nation to the men and women who fought and suffered during the past two World Wars, but also to the men and women who have participated in peacekeeping or humanitarian missions in which Belgium took part for the UN or NATO. To express this recognition, the Institute has three missions, namely:

  • Healthcare
  • Social and moral assistance
  • Remembrance


New project: Allied WWII soldiers remembered on Facebook

Tell the story of an allied soldier of the Second World War with a fan page on Facebook. Live and Remember is a remembrance project organised by the Belgian National Institute for Veterans and Victims of War. Belgian residents who make a fan page for an allied soldier buried in Belgium can win a trip to London by May 2011 if they are awarded for the best fanpage. For more information, please contact Cet e-mail est protégé contre les robots collecteurs de mails, votre navigateur doit accepter le Javascript pour le voir

Remember them 

Thanks to your fan page, you keep the memory alive of soldiers who liberated Belgium and other countries from foreign occupation. Adopt a soldier and tell his story with photographs, maps, short movies, stories, information, archives and through your own research. Facebook also allows you to get in touch with other researchers.
The data you gather will be stored by the Belgian National Institute for Veterans and Victims of War, to keep it safe for future generations. This way the story of "your"soldier will be remembered.

grafwerk.jpg How to choose a soldier?

25,360 allied soldiers of the Second World War are buried in Belgium. Of course, we welcome profiles of other allied soldiers as well.





Retrace his history2009_12_03_bureau_008.jpg

Find as much information as possible about your soldier, his family, his life before the war, his military record, his participation in the Second World War, his regiment, the campaigns in which he participated, etc..




logo_plain.pngUseful links for research

During the Second World War, soldiers of many nationalities were present in Belgium.You can find information about all nationalities but the procedure varies considerably from one country to another. By clicking on the picture with this article you will find sources of information listed by country. It is likely that you will find other sources. We encourage you to explore for more.

Win a trip to Londonlondon.jpg

The top three Facebook profiles will be rewarded. The first prize is a one-day trip to London's historical sites of the Second World War. This contest is open to Belgian residents only. Accompanied by a person of your choice, you will visit the Imperial War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms on the banks of the Thames.

The second and third prize is a package of DVDs with the best films about the Second World War.



How to create a fan page on Facebookfacebook-logo.jpg

Creating a fan page for your soldier is easy. Create a fan page on www.facebook.com. Do not forget to add “Live and Remember" as an administrator to your profile to ensure your profile is stored for future generations. Check out www.facebook.com/liveandremember for examples.