Obituary Michel Vanderborght

12. September 2010

(1925 – 2010)

With deep mourning we must report the death of the president of the international federation of the resistance fighters (FIR) – federation of the anti-fascists, Michel Vanderborght. On 12 September 2010 he died at the age of 85 years.

Already as a young man he joined the resistance and fought himself actively in the partisan army in the region Leuven (Louvain). The partisan army made an important contribution for the liberation of the country from the fascist occupation. After the liberation of Belgium Michel Vanderborght became active in the communist youth organization of Belgium and he was the Belgian representative in the world league of democratic youth (WBDJ). Since 1947 he participated in all “World festivals of the youth and student”as delegate and later as guest.

In the 50’s and 60’s he worked for the communist party of Belgium and supported the anticolonial democratic MNC (Mouvement National Congolais) of Patrice Lumumba. In the context of these international contacts he met also with Fidel Castro and other representatives of the anti-colonial liberation movements.

He organized 1960 in Belgium the first march against atomic rockets to the location of American nuclear weapons. Since this time Michel Vanderborght was active in the Belgian peace movement. He was a chairman of the group “Vrede “and publisher of the magazine of the same name. Supra regional and in his surrounding field he organized various peace activities.

For decades he worked in the ranks of the “Front l’ Indépendance” (F.I.) for the memory of the antifascist fight and retaining the historical memory of the Belgium occupation. In the context of the antifascist memory work he carried many years the responsibility for “the resistance museum “in Brussels and works in the supervisory board of the “Institut de Vétérans”.

At that 13th congress of FIR in Berlin 2004 he was elected as president of the organization. Despite his high age and health problems he filled out this task with large commitment and wealth ideas. To his initiative went back the conference of the FIR in the location of the European parliament and the preparation and realization of the great International Youth meeting 2008 in Buchenwald. He suggested further projects, which proved the aliveness of the organization and its solidarity with the today’s generations. For his political and historical work he received numerous Belgian and international honors.

We lose a president, who exerted himself with high personal authority and large commitment for the common ideas of all anti-fascist and veteran organizations. He combined a clear political conviction with the ability to build bridges to all democratic forces. We owe him much and we will miss him.

Our deep sympathy is valid for his wife and combat companion of many years Marie Louise and his family. We will retain an honoring memory to him.