De vervolging van West-Vlaamse oorlogsburgemeesters voor het krijgshof te Gent (1945-1947)

Early on in the Second World War, a third of Belgian mayors left their post, escaping German occupation. Many were replaced by members of the Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond with the support of the occupier. After the War, seven such ‘wartime mayors’ from West-Flanders were charged with endangerment of the State’s external security and finally tried on appeal before the Ghent court-martial. Their criminal files provide insight into the functioning of the military courts and the sometimes uncertain legal position of the defendant. The court’s reasoning was not always crystal clear, as judges only had a limited obligation to explain their decisions. Additionally, political collaboration was interpreted to incriminate a wide array of facts and courts encountered challenges differentiating denunciation from military collaboration. Applicable law was printed in advance on judgements, though this did not prevent all mistakes in the implementation of numerous decree-laws. Nevertheless, this could lead to the defendant’s benefit.