Telephone directories are used by genealogists and historians to identify people and businesses from a particular place and era. This guide lists the directories from Belgium in the Library of Congress collections.
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Author:
Erika Hope Spencer, Reference Specialist, European Reading Room, Latin American, Caribbean & European Division
Note: This guide is adapted from an earlier version, which first appeared on the European Reading Room website.
Created: October 2, 2023
Last Updated: October 2, 2023
Introduction
Most of the foreign telephone directories held by the Library of Congress are uncataloged, we have therefore compiled this list of Belgian directories as a finding aid for our staff and researchers. These directories cover Belgium between the years 1937-1996. There are approximately 350 directories. In addition to the uncataloged directories listed on the next page, the Library also holds a handful that are cataloged and may be requested using the online catalog. To locate these directories, search the Library of Congress Online Catalog using subject keywords such as "Belgium" and "directories," or the name of a city plus "directories." In addition to telephone directories, this kind of search also yields business/address directories from Belgium.
Besides using printed telephone directories, a reader may find it helpful to use online directories available for free on the Internet. The telephone portal site Infobel External provides a database of business entries for each European country, including Belgium (Belgique). There are no listings for private individuals at this site.
This guide provides curated Library of Congress resources for students researching Belgium, including digitized primary sources, books and periodicals, online databases, special collections, telephone directories and contemporary cultural figures.
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This guide, prepared by the Law Library of Congress, includes links to free online resources regarding the country of Belgium, focusing on its constitution; executive, legislative and judicial branches; legal guides; and general sources.