Photo series Liberation of Antwerp, donation by Kenis family. Collection

Chocolatier (Karel?) Goossens owned a chocolate shop at Gemeentestraat in Antwerp. He employed Hélène Kenis, sister of the donor's aunt Mariette Kenis, as a shop assistant. From 1942 until the end of the war, the shop was closed due to a lack of raw materials and a decreasing demand for chocolates. In 1942-1944, chocolatier Goossens photographed street scenes from the first floor of the building. He documented Liberation from the same spot and also took photos in the streets of Antwerp during the days following the arrival of the allied troops. In the months after Liberation, the store was damaged during one of the V1 bombardments on Antwerp. It was later rebuilt. When mister Goossens died in February 1953, Helene Kenis took over the store. She passed away in May 2003.

Chocolatier Goossens took the photos in this collection from the first floor of his shop at Gemeentestraat in Antwerp. When he passed away in February 1953, shop assistant Helene Kenis took over the store. According to her family, the inheritance also included the photo series of the Liberation of Antwerp. After her death in 2003, the photos were stored by Helene's sister, Mariette Kenis, who passed away in December 2015. Her nephew, Staf Kenis, offered the photos to Kazerne Dossin in June 2016.

Staf Kenis, 2016