Ieper-Kent lezing door Jozefien De Bock
educatieve ruimte

While the stories of the 1,5 million Belgians who sought refuge from the war in 1914 - 1918 are being researched and presented ever more clearly, the mental health impacts of their displacement and resettlement have not yet been the subject of extensive research. Such research could potentially provide important insights for modern day refugee care, as statistics show that asylum seekers and refugees are significantly more likely to suffer mental distress than the general population.

This lecture will explore the general context of (mental) health care for Belgian refugees in the UK as well as some of the contextual factors that predisposed these refugees to problems of mental ill-health. It will focus on the institutionalization of those that were deemed a danger to themselves or to others. Over the course of the war, more than 300 Belgians were taken into psychiatric institutions in the UK. There, they were the subject of repeated government intervention, the story of which will be told on the basis of personal stories, following these refugees from their arrival in England to their eventual return to Belgium.

The lecture will end with a note on the project Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health, within which this ongoing research takes place.

Over de spreker

Dr. Jozefien De Bock obtained an MA in Contemporary History at Ghent University and a PhD in History and Civilization at the European University Institute in Florence. Since then, she has worked both in the cultural sector (Ghent City Museum, Amsab-Institute for Social History, Erfgoedcel Waasland) and in academia (Ghent University, Fulbright, Utrecht University). Her research interests are focused on the socio-economic and cultural history of migrants, minorities and refugees.

Over de Ieper-Kentlezingen

In Flanders Fields Museum en de School of History, University of Kent presentereneen nieuwe reeks voordrachten over de geschiedenis van de Eerste Wereldoorlog, gratis en voor iedereen toegankelijk. De voertaal is Engels.

Afwisselend worden lezingen gehouden in Canterburry en in Ieper. Het volledige programma vind je in deze brochure.

Praktisch

• Donderdag 5 februari 2026
• Om 19.00 uur
• Educatieve ruimte, In Flanders Fields Museum (Lakenhallen, Grote Markt, Ieper)
• Voertaal Engels
• Inschrijven