be-002157-kd 00983
type: RecordSet
archival history: The items in this collection were preserved during the occupation by Charles Benedictus and his wife Maria Cavents. After they both passed away in 1975 the items were transferred to their son Paul Benedictus and via him to their grandchildren Gigi and Guy Benedictus. On 28 April 2023 Gigi and Guy Benedictus kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitise their family archival collection.
biographical history: Charles Benedictus was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on 22 March 1903 as the eldest son of Isaac Samson alias Isidore Benedictus (born on 21 November 1870 in Antwerp) and Amelie Haas (born on 19 May 1877 in Kleve, Germany). Charles had a younger brother named Maurice, who was born on 15 March 1907. The Benedictus family was not particularly pious but, as they were well-to-do, they did financially support a Jewish philanthropic society. All relatives had Belgian nationality, although they were originally of Dutch decent. Charles’ paternal grandparents Samson Benedictus and Esther Benedictus had both been born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, but had immigrated to Belgium in the 1840s and had married in Antwerp in 1868. Charles’ great-grandfather Isaac Benedictus (father of Esther Benedictus), in 1857, founded the Antwerp cigar factory ‘Manufacture de Cigares I. Benedictus’, initially known as ‘Benedictus & Pinkhof’, located at Oostenstraat 45/46 in Antwerp, which produced the internationally distributed Primus inter Pares cigars. During the First World War some members of the family, such as Charles’ grandmother Esther Benedictus, presumably found refuge in the Netherlands, after which they returned to Belgium. Charles Benedictus studied humanities at the Lycée d’Anvers in Antwerp. In December 1920 Charles took on a job working for his father Isaac Samson Benedictus who succeeded Charles’ grandfather Samson Benedictus as the director of the Benedictus cigar factory. Charles climbed within the company and became the manager of the branch responsible for exporting the cigars. In 1921-1922 Charles also performed his military service. On 14 November 1934 he married the non-Jewish Belgian Maria Cavents (born on 11 February 1907 in Antwerp) with whom he had two sons: Paul, who was born in Antwerp on 28 April 1936, and Louis Isidore, who was born in Berchem on 28 August 1938. The family moved to De Merodelei 37 in Berchem around the time of Louis’ birth. On 10 May 1940 Nazi-Germa…
location of originals: Guy Benedictus, private collection, Belgium
accruals: No further accruals are to be expected.
conditions of access: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
conditions of use: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
has beginning date: 1840-01-01
has end date: 1975-12-31
has or had holder: be-002157
has or had some members with language: fra
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had some members with language: nld
has or had subject: 204
has or had subject: 304
has record set type: Collection
identifier: KD_00983
record resource extent: 62 digitised images (20 documents, 1 photo and 1 collage)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: This collection contains: the birth certificate of Esther Benedictus (paternal grandmother of Charles Benedictus), 1840 ; a municipal certificate issued to Samson and Esther Benedictus (paternal grandparents of Charles Benedictus), 1868 ; the wedding booklet of Samson and Esther Benedictus, 1868 ; a Dutch passport issued to Esther Benedictus, 1918 ; pre-war promotional material for cigar factory Primus inter Pares, owned by the Benedictus family, including a deck of cards, a brochure and a catalogue ; a collage of the I. [Isaac] Benedictus - Primus inter Pares brand cigar bands ; a municipal certificate confirming the address of Isaac and Samson Benedictus in Antwerp in 1858, 1931 ; the marriage booklet of Charles Benedictus and Maria Cavents, 1934 ; an ID issued by the Berchem municipality to Charles Benedictus, carrying the red stamp “Jood-Juif”, 1940-1941 ; a certificate issued to Charles Benedictus by the Kriegsverwaltungsrat, exempting him from the obligation to wear the yellow Star of David, 1942 ; a Congolese drivers’ license issued to Charles Benedictus, 1943 ; a post-war ID for Belgian POWs issued to Charles Benedictus ; a post-war photo of Louis Benedictus, son of Charles Benedictus and Maria Cavents ; diplomas regarding honorary titles bestowed upon Charles Benedictus after the war, 1946-1948 ; the death certificates of Charles Benedictus and Maria Cavents, 1975 ; a family tree of the Benedictus family drafted by Mrs. Judith Samuel from Bath.
title: Charles Benedictus. Collection