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IFTU Archives

1919-1953 Reference: ARCH00635

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The Netherlands
Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis

Finding aid sub-groups

Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis
( Cruquiusweg 31 , 1019 AT Amsterdam , Nederland )
Finding aid is in English
Collection Summary

Scope and content

Content

Documents collected by Annie Adama van Scheltema for the period 1919-1939 and obtained from Walter Schevenels, secretary-general of the IFTU 1930-1945 and in charge of its liquidation 1945-1953. Documents relating to congresses 1919-1939: agenda, minutes, reports, lectures, resolutions and declarations; records of the General Council 1929-1937, 1945: agenda, minutes, reports, notes and circulars; of the Executive Committee 1941-1945: reports; of the secretariat 1940-1945, 1950: general correspondence, correspondence with affiliated and nonaffiliated organizations, with the International Trade Secretariats (ITS), trade unions and other organizations in various countries and circulars; documents on conferences and congresses organized by the IFTU: Peace Congress 1922, IFTU/ITS Conferences 1927-1939, Working Women Conferences 1920-1936, Economic Conferences 1933-1938, the USSR IFTU Conference (held in 1937) 1936-1939, the Emergency International Trade Union Council 1943-1945, the World Trade Union Conference 1943-1945 and other congresses and conferences: agenda, correspondence, circulars, reports, lectures, proposals etc.; files on educational work 1922-1935, 1942-1945; on aid to refugees 1940-1945, 1950; on propaganda and publicity 1940-1945 and on the liquidation of the IFTU 1945-1953.

Record creators history

Historical note

The International Secretariat of the National Trade Union Federations, precursor of the IFTU, was founded in Copenhagen in 1901; Berlin became its seat, with Carl Legien as its first secretary; after the disruption by the First World War reestablished as IFTU in Amsterdam in 1919; split in 1921, when communist and radical unions joined with those of the USSR to form the Red International of Labour Unions (PROFINTERN) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) did not renew its affiliation; the IFTU became a mainly European body with social democratic orientation, influential at the League of Nations' International Labour Organisation (ILO) and closely cooperating with the autonomous International Trade Secretariats (ITS); its secretariat was in Amsterdam 1919-1930, in Berlin 1931-1933, in Paris 1933-1940 and in London 1940-1945; engaged in the struggle against fascism from 1924 until 1939; aided refugees during the Second World War and was involved in underground resistance; dissolved in 1945 to be replaced by the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Archival history

Custodial History

The present documents from before 1939 were collected by the former librarian of the International Institute of Social History, Mrs. Annie Adama van Scheltema . The documents from the period after 1939 were collected by Walter Schevenels who was the General Secretary of the I.F.T.U. from 1930 up to 1945. After the dissolution of the I.F.T.U. Schevenels had been instructed to liquidate the I.F.T.U., which was completed in 1953.

The greater part of the collection covers the period from 1939 up to 1953, but there are no documents concerning the Congresses from that period.

Conditions governing access

Raadpleging

Not restricted

Preferred citation

Preferred Citation

IFTU Archives , inventory number ..., International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam

Extent

2 m. meter

Other descriptive information

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1

INVENTORY

Period 1919-1940

CONGRESSES 4

GENERAL COUNCIL 6

CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES organised by the I.F.T.U. 8

Peace Congress 8

IFTU/ITS-Conferences

Working Women Conferences

Economic Conferences 10

USSR - IFTU-Conferences 10

EDUCATIONAL WORK 10

VARIOUS SUBJECTS 10

CIRCULARS 11

Period 1939-1953

GENERAL COUNCIL 11

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 11

SECRETARIAT 12

General 12

Finances 12

Relations with affiliated and non-affiliated organisations

Relations with International Trade Secretariats

Relations with countries

Conferences and Congresses

EDUCATIONAL WORK 18

AID TO REFUGEES 18

CIRCULARS 18

PROPAGANDA AND PUBLICITY 19

LIQUIDATION 19

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

The International Federation of Trade Unions (I.F.T.U.) was set up on the 21st of August 1901 in Copenhagen, Denmark and was known as the International Secretariat of Trade Union Centres till the First World War.

In 1902 at the Conference of Stuttgart it was decided to establish the Secretariat of the I.F.T.U. in Berlin under the direction of Karl Legien .

In view of the wartime conditions in 1914 a Sub-Secretariat was set up in Amsterdam on neutral ground under the management of the Dutch trade unionist Jan Oudegeest , while the headquarters of the I.F.T.U. stayed in Berlin. The so-called "Entente-countries" (U.S.A., France, Great-Britain, Russia and Belgium) raised serious objections to the latter and desired the removal of the headquarters from Berlin to a neutral country.

The German trade unionists took the position that such a decision could only be taken by an international conference, which could not possibly meet under the prevalent circumstances. According to them it was necessary to wait for the end of the war. Thereupon the trade unions from the Entente-countries decided to set up a Central Office of Correspondence in Paris under the direction of Léon Jouhaux . Berlin and Paris competed with each other.

In 1919 at the Conference of Amsterdam it was decided to establish the Secretariat in Amsterdam. In 1930 the headquarters of the I.F.T.U. was removed again to Berlin, in spite of opposition from many within the I.F.T.U. who did not think the circumstances in Germany were favourable.

Within two years the headquarters had to be removed to Paris. At the outbreak of the Second World War the headquarters and the staff had to move to London.

The funds of the I.F.T.U. were transferred to London and to New York. The greatest part of the archives was hidden from the Nazis in a house in Savigny-le-Temple, a very small village 26 miles south of Paris. The rest of the archives and other documents was hidden by the staff of the I.F.T.U. in a small village called Sables-d'Olonne on the Atlantic coast 250 miles west of Paris.

However, within a few months the Gestapo succeeded in finding the archives, which were transported by the German military police first to Paris and later to Berlin.

Then the archives and documents were distributed in all directions of Germany with the intention to reclassify or possibly to destroy them. Most of the buildings, where the archives of the I.F.T.U. were kept, were completely destroyed by bombardments during the last months of the war.

After the war several attempts were made to find the archives but unfortunately without any result.

In December 1945 it was decided to dissolve the I.F.T.U. and to create the World federation of Trade Unions.

The present documents from before 1939 were collected by the former librarian of the International Institute of Social History, Mrs. Annie Adama van Scheltema . The documents from the period after 1939 were collected by Walter Schevenels who was the General Secretary of the I.F.T.U. from 1930 up to 1945. After the dissolution of the I.F.T.U. Schevenels had been instructed to liquidate the I.F.T.U., which was completed in 1953.

The greater part of the collection covers the period from 1939 up to 1953, but there are no documents concerning the Congresses from that period.

Organisation

The management of the I.F.T.U. was in the hands of an Executive Committee and General Council who were bound to act in accordance with the decisions of its Congress.

The Executive Committee consisted of a President, five Vice-Presidents and the General Secretary and met at least six times a year. The Executive Committee decided all questions except those expressly reserved for the General Council and the Congress. In case of emergency the Executive could take decision on any question whatsoever.

The General Council consisted of the members of the Executive Committee and one delegate from each affiliated national centre. Meetings of the Council were held once a year. The Executive Committee had the right to convene extraordinary meetings. Such meetings should also be convened on the demand of at least one-third of the members of the General Council. The duties of the General Council were among other things: to examine the activities of the Executive Committee; to examine the programme of action for the coming year; to pass the annual financial report; to pass the budget for the coming year; to deal with all matters pertaining to the affiliation or expulsion of National Centres.

The Congress consisted of delegates of the affiliated National Centres. The ordinary Congress of the I.F.T.U. met every three years. Extraordinary Congress could be convened at any time.

The final decision on all questions rested with the Congress. Its specific duties included among other things: supervising the activities of the Executive Committee and the General Council; determining the programme of action; deciding upon any alterations to be made in the rules and regulations; electing the members of the Executive Committee, the General Secretary and the Assistant Secretaries.

the General Secretary managed the Secretariat taking care of the administration of the I.F.T.U.

Sources: L.L. Lorwin, Labor and Internationalism. New York, 1929.

W. Schevenels, Forty-Five Years International federation of Trade Unions 1901-1945. Brussels 1956.

L.E.G. Schwidder

INDEX

Inventorynumber
A
Adama van Scheltema, A. 338
Adamczyk, Al. 191
Aget, Edouard 338

Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond 338
Allina, Heinrich 227, 229

Alter, Victor 293
Amalgamated Engineering Union 238

Amalgamated Union of Building Trade 145
Amalgamated Union of Operative Bakers Confectioners and Allied Workers 215
American Federation of Labor 194, 338
Anderson, Gunnar 193
Arbeidernes Faglige Landsorganisasjon i Norge 338
Arbejdernes Landsbank Kobenhavn 338
Armstrong, H.T. 191
Aronson, Gregor 156
Association of Austrian Socialists 229
Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen 216, 273
Association of Free Germans 265
Association of Jewish Refugees in Great Britain 266
Association of Polish Railwaymen in Great Britain 292
Association of Scientific Workers 188

Auerbach, Walter 184, 257
Australasian Council of Trade Unions 258
Austrian Communists in Great Britain 229
Austrian Representative Committee 231, 232
Austrian Trade Union 338

Austrian Youth Association 227
B
Banque Centrale des Coopératives 338
Baxter, W.H. 250
Becker, K. 269
Becu, O. 283
Belgian Commission for the Study of Post-War Problems 192-194, 237-243
Belgian, Danish, Dutch, French and Polish Central Transport Workers' Organization 237, 238, 273
Belgian Trade Union Centre in Great Britain 235-243, 258
Belgisch Vakbondscentrum 191
Belgisch Vakverbond 243, 244
Belgische Transportarbeidersbond 222

Belgische Zeemansbond 222
Bell, E.A. 266
Benoit, S. 338

Bieligk, Fritz 257, 263, 265
Biennenveld, Maurice van 338

Block, Aug. De 239, 241
Bock, Max 269
Bodson, V. 263

Bogaert, Charles 338
Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders Society 242
Bondfield, Margaret 143
Bornstein, P. 338

Bratu, A.E. 319
Braunthal, Julius 195
British Broadcasting Corporation 189
British Labour Party 263
British Ministry of Information 261, 262
British Workers' Sports Association 202, 203

Broczyner, Alfred 258
Buttinger, A. 197
C
Caballero, Francesco Largo 197
Cabossel, L. 338
Camera Confederale del Lavoro Napoli 283
Camaerts, Emile 239, 240, 242
Captain Santos Bassauri 298
Carillo, Weceslao 184, 193, 204, 298
Carllos 270

Carré, René 252
Casserini, Karl 337
Celler, Emanuel 229

Central Committee for Refugees 197
Central Federation of Jewish Labour in Eretz Israel 223
Central Union of Allied Workers 235, 236

Centrale Bond van Transportarbeiders 222
Centrale des Metallurgistes de Belgique 241, 242
Centrale Générale du Bâtiment Ameublement et Industries Diverses de Belgique 236, 238
Citrine, Walter 194, 322, 324, 338
Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union 266
Confederacion National del Trabajo de la República Argentina 298
Confédération Générale du Travail 193
Confédération Générale du Travail du Luxembourg 338
Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavaro 283
Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. 338
Czechoslovak Economic Service in U.S.A. 323
Czechoslovak Forces in England (Welfare Section) 319

Czechoslovak Trade union Centre in Great Britain 193, 319

Czechoslovak Trade Union Movement 338
Czech Refugee Trust Fund 256
D
Daniel, Jean 197
Danzing Movement 272
Derkow, Willi 257, 259, 261, 263, 266, 269
Deutsch, Ladislav 271
Doberer, Kurt K. 216, 260
Dominlea, Franz 271
Dove, P.R. 322
E

East Lewisham Labour Party 229
Eichler, Willi 257-260, 262, 263, 266, 267
Electrical Trades Union 216
l' Émancipatrice 338

Erlich, Henryk 293
Evans, Lincoln 216
F
Fabian International Bureau 275
Fabian Society 319
Fachgruppe Bühne, Film, Rundfunk 263, 264
Fassin, A. 235
Fassin, L. 338

Federated Gas Employees' Industrial Union 258
Federazion Antifascista Italiana 262
Feierabend, Ladislav 250
"Fight for Freedom" 266
Fircroft 144
Foreign Scientists Committee 188
Free German League of Culture in Great Britain 264
Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund 269
French Trade Union Centre in Great Britain 204, 319
Freyd 216
Friedmann, D. 319
Front de l'indépendance 243
G
Gann, E.J. 262
Gärtner, Marie 338

General Federation Jewish Labour 194, 291
Genossenschaftliche Zentralbank Basel 338
Gentili, Dino 283
German Trade Union Centre in Great Britain 196, 257-259, 261-268, 269, 325
Geyer, Curt 270

Gherman, E. 338
Gluck, P.St. 247
Goodrich, Carter 191, 322, 324
Gottfurcht, Hans 254, 257-264, 267, 269, 315, 338
Gotthelf, Herta 259
Graetzer, Rosi 261
Greidinger, Arpad 230

Groenewald, E. 269
Group of Austrian Trade Unionists in Great Britain 197, 227-233
Groupe socialiste Emile Vandervelde 236, 239, 240

Gruppe unabhängiger Deutscher Autoren 266
Guérin, Henri 252

H
Haase, Emil 271
Hahn, Otto 191, 256
Halasi, A.B. 322
Hantusch, R. 256
Harris, Pippa 338
Hayes, Ellen 143
Heidorn, Wilhelm 258, 259
Heine, B.F. 260, 265
Heine, F. 260
Herbert, George 262
Hertz, Paul 255
Herz, Carl 263
Heuman, W. 266
Hindahl, Olav 191, 192
Hofmann, Rudolf 271
Holowatyj, Rudolf 228, 229
Holtermann, K. 264

Huysmans, Camille 241
I
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions 338
International Co-operative Women's Guild 191, 192

International federation of Commercial Clerical 263 and Technical Employees
International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations 191, 192
International Group of Teachers Trade Unionists 319

International Labour Office 190-194, 240, 244
International Solidarity Fund 261
International Transportworkers' Federation 184, 193, 194, 259, 338
Interned Enemy Aliens Tribunal 264
Irmer, E.K. 266
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation 264, 265
Isner, Inna 260
Italian Antifascist Federation 263
J
Jahn, H. 259

Jakerlová, Maren 271
Jaksch, Wenzel 256
Jakubowicz, A. 261

Janssens, Jos 235
Jewish Refugee Committee 197
Jouhaux, Leon 324
K
Kempner, M. 260
Keuwet, G. 242
Kirschmann, Emil 267
Kiss, Alfred 261
Klein, Alexander 197
Knellesen, G. 338
Koegler, Franz 256
Kolarz, A. 338, 340
Kolb, Karl 228, 229
Köller, Joh. 271
Kramer, F. 283
Krautter, Erich 264
Krautter, Rudolf H. 239
Krebs, Martin 263, 264

Kretschmar, Richard 196
Kreyssig, Gerhart 324, 325, 338
Krier, Pierre 191
Kunosi, Alexander 250
L
Labour College 144

Ladig, Josef 271
Landesexekutive Oberösterreich des Oesterreichischen Gewerkschaftsbundes 233
Landsorganisationen i Sverige 251, 338

Laurent, Charles 338
League of Austrian Socialists in Great Britain 229, 231
League of Nations Union 250
Lewin, Hans 259

Lietz, Carl 272
Lievers, T.D 260
Lipscher, Koloman 262

Litauer, M. 319
Llopis, Rodolfo 298
Locker, Berl 204, 243, 265, 291
Loeb, Walter 261
Loew - Klein, Stella 319
London Bureau of the Austrian Socialists 197, 203, 227, 229, 232, 233
Londoner Vertretung der freien Arbeiter-, Angestellten- und Beambten- Gewerkschaften 257, 258
Lopez, Juan 298
Löwenthal, R. 255
M

Malfati, F. 283
Man, H. de 244
Meister, Martin 270, 325

Menne, Bernhard 255, 263
Mereminsky, Israel 291
Muller, J.M. 260
N
National Council of Labour Colleges 144, 320, 321

National Federation of Building Trades Operatives 210, 236
National Labour Committee for Palestine 291
National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants 223
National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives 209
National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers 146

National Union of Distributive Allied Workers 192, 212
National Union of Journalists 263
National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers 194, 211, 228
Nauen, Robert 262
Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen 338
Nenni, Pietro 283
Neu Beginnen 255
Neumann, G. 256

New Zealand Printing and Related Trades Union 223
Nordahl, Konrad 216, 280, 289
Norwegian Association of Trade Unions 216, 229, 231

Novy, Franz 228, 229, 231
O
Ofen, Friedel 261
Olday 262
Ollenhauer, Erich 258, 325
Oppenheimer, F. 269
Otra Alemania Buenos Aires 269
P
Palestine Labour political Committee 194
Palestine Trade Union Centre 291
Parti Socialiste Ouvrier Espagnol 298
Partito dei Lavoratori d'Italia 283
Paulick, Bruno 262
Pierleoni, Bruno 283
Polák, Franz 271
Polish Social Information Bureau 319
Polish Trade Union Centre in Great Britain 292, 305
Pollak, Oscar 197, 229, 232, 233
Pordes, Friedrich 231

Potters 262
Preminger, Isidor 263
Procházka, Adolf 198

R
Ravitzki, K. 259
Reigate Borough Labour Party 229

Reitzer, Richard 256
Relief Committee for Trade Union Refugees 270
Rens, Jef 193, 194, 236, 243
Reparation 268
Reventlow, Rudolfo 265
Richter, Georg 263, 270
Rosal, Amaro 298

Rosenberg, Ludwig 264
Ruskin College 144, 321
S

Salgado, M. 298
Samvirkende Fagforbund i Danmark 338
Sander, Wilhelm 196, 203, 255, 257-262
Sander - Gruppe 197
Saran, Mary 201
Schiff, Viktor 263, 266
Schilde, Hans 269
Schilling, Erich 269
Schilling, Ernst 260, 261
Schlimme, H. 269

Schmidt, Heinz 262
Schnacke, Ernst 260
Schoettle, Erwin 255
Schuersch, Ch. 300
Schuil 338
Schulz, F. 338

Schweizerische Arbeiterbildungszentrale 146
Schweizerische Gewerkschaftsbund 223, 270, 300, 338
Seger, Gerhart 255
Siebert, J.G. 188
Smith, Rennie 144
South African Typographical Union 223
Soviet Monitor 292
Sozialistische Jugend Internationale 146
Spaak, P.H. 236
Spanish Aid Committee 197
Spanish Workers in Great Britain 204, 298
Specht, Minna 319
Staal, Ad 322
Stampfer, Friedrich 255, 261
Stevenson, J.W. 260

Stolz, Georges 186, 256, 257, 258, 322, 323
Storch, R. 202, 203

Strobl, Anna 262
Sudeten German Social Democratic Party 256

Süss, Bruno 270
Svitanics, Johannes 197, 227
T
Tewson, Vincent 338
Thelen - Moisel, Friedel 262
Topalovitch, Z. 283

Trade Union Centre for Austrian Workers in Great Britain 227, 229, 230

Trades and Labor Congress of Canada 258
Trades Union Congress 125, 237, 238, 241, 243, 260, 262, 263, 264, 273, 283, 319, 321
Trades Union Congress General Council 143, 144, 145
Tschoffen, Paul 241

Turner, Ben 144
U
Ufficio Regionale del Lavoro 283

Union Deutscher Sozialistischer Organisationen in Gross Britannien 265

Union General de Trabajadores de Espana 298, 338
Union of Jewish Clerks and Office Employees 212
Union of Post Office Workers 143, 144, 145
unione Ferrovieri Italiani 283
Unitarian Service Committee 197, 322
V
Verband der Bekleidungs-, Leder- und Ausrüstungsarbeiter der Schweiz 211
Vogel, Hans 259, 262-265

W
Wahusinski, G. 338
Waldheim, Harald von 259, 261

Watson Collin and Co. 338
Wauters, A. 235, 236, 240, 241

Weckel, Curt 322
Weidmann, F. 269
Weigel, Wilhelm 271

Werner, H. 197
White, D. 338
Wietesky, Werner 266

Winter, Frederik 260
Wolstencroft, F. 210
Wolkers' Chess Association 203
Workers' Educational Association 143, 144, 319, 320, 321
Workers' Educational Trade Union Committee 144
Workers' Travel Association 263
World Council of Churches 338
Wouwe, Jan van 336, 338
Z
Zarras, J. 198
Zeidler, Alfred 262

Zinner, Josef 256
Zinner Gruppe 256
Zygielbojm, S. 265

Keywords

Subjects

Subjects:
International organizations
Socialist and social democrat parties/Socialist International
Syndicalism/Trade unions
Geographic names:
Netherlands
Germany
France
Genre of the material:

Archival material
Personal names: Annie Adama van Scheltema Walter Schevenels
Corporate names: International Secretariat of Trade Union Centres
Personal names: Karl Legien
Personal names: Jan Oudegeest
Personal names: Léon Jouhaux
Personal names: Annie Adama van Scheltema Walter Schevenels

Language of the material

English , German , French

Record creator


Creator:

IFTU

Content provider

Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis

( Cruquiusweg 31 , 1019 AT Amsterdam , Nederland )

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You can filter results by selecting "Fonds description" for a general overview or "Other descriptions" for item level. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results by selecting only those containing digital objects, i.e. the link to the digitised version of the archival material you are looking for. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results by type of digital object you are interested in:

  • Text: most documental material, such as administrative records, letters, manuscripts etc.
  • Image: includes photographs, posters, maps.
  • Sound: sound recording with no images
  • Video: moving images with or without sound
  • Unspecified: indicates that the holding institution has not specified the type of digital object
  • 3D: 3-d digital objects

You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers)

  • Full dates includes normalised date information available for date-based searches. It is recommended to combine this selection with the filters "Start timespan" and "End timespan" for more details.
  • Only descriptive dates provides the date information in human-readable format.
  • No date either includes documents where the creation date is unknown, or where date information is not in a machine-readable format

Please note that not all documents contain a machine-readable date. More information here

You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers). This filter will only include materials with "Full dates", i.e. those that include date information available for date-based searches. You can either search for a specific date of interest or focus step by step on the time span of a century, decade, year or month. When searching for a specific date, enter the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, i.e. 01/01/1900 for 1 January 1900, via the calendar function or by typing directly in the text field.
This filter concentrates on the earliest dates mentioned in the materials.

You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers). This filter will only include materials with "Full dates", i.e. those that include date information available for date-based searches. You can either search for a specific date of interest or focus step by step on the time span of a century, decade, year or month. When searching for a specific date, enter the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, i.e. 01/01/1900 for 1 January 1900, via the calendar function or by typing directly in the text field.
This filter concentrates on the latest dates mentioned in the materials.

You can filter results based on the language in which the material is written. Please note that this filter will only include materials where specific language information has been provided by the institution and is therefore in a machine-readable format. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.



You can filter results by selecting one or more topics of interest. Please note that this filter will only include materials where the topic has been assigned and is therefore in a machine-readable format. Read how to assign a topic to documents on the Topics page. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.



You can filter results by selecting where your search terms appears specifically inside the archival description:

  • The name can be the full name of a person, family or organisation as well as only parts of it, e.g. only the last name.
  • The identifier is used internally by the institution or refers to (inter)national vocabularies such as the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF).
  • The place can be the place of birth (or foundation), the place of death (or closing), the place of work or any other place of importance.
  • The occupation is the profession or job of a person
  • The mandate is a law, directive or charter that establishes and defines an organisation's powers, functions, responsibilities or sphere of activities.
  • The function is an activity, role, or purpose performed or manifested by a person, family or organisation

You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results by type of entities:

  • Person (e.g., John Locke or Jean Jaques Rousseau)
  • Family (e.g., the family Bonaparte)
  • Corporate body (an institution, organisation, or company, e.g. the "Ministerie van Justitie")
You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results based on the language in which the material is written. Please note that this filter will only include materials where specific language information has been provided by the institution and is therefore in a machine-readable format. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.

You can filter results based on the type of holding institution. Please note that this filter will only include institutions, for which a type has been provided as part of their descriptions.

  • A business archive holds the records of (often) commercial organisations.
  • A church or religious archive holds the records of church parishes or religious organisations, e.g. birth or death registers.
  • A county or local authority archive holds the records of the county's administrative bodies.
  • A media archive holds audiovisual or sound records, e.g. a film archive or the archive of a broadcasting company.
  • A municipal archive holds the records of a town or city administration.
  • A national archive holds the records of a country's administrative bodies, i.e. from ministries and other public bodies, sometimes also private papers of former ministers, chancellors, or presidents.
  • A private person or family archive holds the records forming the legacy of a prominent person or family.
  • A regional archive holds the records of a region's administrative bodies.
  • A specialised governmental archive holds records of public bodies, often operating on a national level, that are not part of the national archives' holdings.
  • A specialised non-governmental archive or archive of another cultural heritage institution hold collections from various cultural heritage institutions, eg. museum archives, libraries archives, etc
  • A university archive or archive of another research organisation holds the records pertaining to the administration of the according educational or research body.
  • Political parties, popular/labour movements and other non-governmental organisations, associations, agencies and foundations hold the archival collections of these institutions, outside of governmental records and outside of business archives (e.g., NGOs)

Write your message in your own language and use this drop-down menu to have your message translated into English or in the language of the institution for a swifter response. By checking this box and selecting a language you will send your original message along with the translated version

What kind of suggestion would you like to make?

  • Assign to topic: assign this record to one of our Topics. Topics are created following the Unesco Thesaurus
  • Suggest translation: If you have translated this archival description or the documents themselves, please send it to us as a .doc or .pdf file
  • Connect to another resource: If this object relates to another resource in Archives Portal Europe, or anywhere else on the web (e.g., an article on Wikipedia), you can suggest it to be linked to this resource
  • Other: If you have any other relevant material, such as a transcription of the document, please upload it and let us know here

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This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.

This object has been identified as an Orphan Work in the country of first publication and in line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.

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This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.

The copyright status of this object has not been evaluated yet. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy, or moral rights.

This object is currently in copyright and the rights holder(s) have allowed re-use for educational purposes only. You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.

Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for any other uses.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak and build upon the licensed object, even for commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak and build upon the licensed object, even for commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, No Derivates (BY-ND) licence. You can copy and redistribute the object, even commercially, as long as no alteration is made to the object and you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.

If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial (BY-NC) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object for non-commercial use only and as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, ShareAlike (BY-NC-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object for non-commercial use only, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and as long as you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivates (BY-NC-ND) licence. You can copy and redistribute the object for non-commercial use only, as long as no alteration is made to the object and as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.

If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.

This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.

This object has been identified as an Orphan Work in the country of first publication and in line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.

You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.

This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.

The copyright status of this object has not been evaluated yet. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy, or moral rights.

This object is currently in copyright and the rights holder(s) have allowed re-use for educational purposes only. You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.

Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for any other uses.

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