Koen Aerts

Prof. Dr. Koen Aerts of Ghent University's Department of History specializes in 20th-century Belgian socio-political and legal history, with a focus on World War II, post-war societies, and collective memory. His research employs oral history, public history, and cultural heritage analysis to explore how Belgium grapples with its wartime past through education, media, and heritage institutions.

• Key research areas: collaboration/repression history, historical culture, memory studies
• Academic service includes: Cultural Heritage expert for the Flemish government, War Diaries Project coordinator at Archiefpunt, and advisory roles at KADOC, Museum of Resistance, and BelgiumWWII.be

His public engagement spans documentary consulting (VRT/RTBF), historical fiction screenwriting, and war cafés/workshops for heritage outreach. Recent projects examine Belgian army during the Phoney War (2024-2028) and asbestos objects in heritage collections (2022-2026).