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![In Franken photo studio, Eupen, early 20th century (Source: Eupen State Archives)]()
Photo analysis
The history of the 20th and 21st centuries cannot be written without pictures. They are equally important sources as texts and other documents...
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![Eupener Nachrichten, 29. März 1939 (Staatsarchiv Eupen, Zeitungsbestand)]()
Caricature analysis
As historical sources, cartoons often have to be deciphered, which is not always easy...
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![Excerpt from a documentary made by the Belgian army: Belgian troops enter Malmedy on 12 August 1919 (© Cinematek).]()
Film and radio
The 20th century is often described by historians as the century of mass media. The press, radio, cinema, and television shaped people’s everyday lives...
Analyse
One of the basic principles of historical scholarship is the critical reading of sources, also known as ‘source criticism’. The term ‘critical’, or ‘criticism’ does not necessarily have a negative meaning here. Rather, it is about questioning a source at hand. What are the external characteristics of the document? Is it an original? Who created it? When? For what reason? In what context? What does the content say? Is it trustworthy? Only then can a document be properly classified. This principle is not only applied to written documents, but also to pictures, cartoons, or audiovisual documents, for example. Here, we analyse some sources from or about East Belgium.
