International Institute of Social History (IISG): archives of labour and social movements

Collections and holdings

The institute's holdings include personal papers, organizational records, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, photographs and audio-visual materials documenting trade unions, socialist parties, anarchist and communist movements, cooperatives and other social movements. It is widely known for preserving manuscripts and working papers of major figures of the labour movement; notable examples include collections associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Rosa Luxemburg. The institute also maintains extensive runs of historical newspapers and journals in many languages.

History and development

The institute was established by the Dutch historian Nicolaas Posthumus in 1935 with the aim of gathering documentary material about workers' movements and social change. Over decades it expanded through donations, purchases and transfers of archives from political organizations, activists and scholars. Today the institute is known in Dutch as the Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis and forms part of the national scholarly landscape.

Research, services and access

As a research facility the IISG supports historical inquiry through its reading rooms, catalogue services, reference assistance and digitisation initiatives. Researchers may consult original manuscripts and digitised collections, request reproductions and use specialised guides for navigating multilingual material. The institute publishes research, hosts seminars and exhibitions, and collaborates with universities and cultural organisations to promote social-historical scholarship. For information about its research activities see the institute’s description of its work as a historical research centre in Amsterdam.

Importance and distinctions

The IISG is distinguished by its international scope and by its role in preserving materials that document struggles for labour rights, social reform and political change. Its collections are a crucial resource for historians of the left, comparative labour studies, cultural history and the history of ideas. By combining archival preservation, scholarly services and public outreach, the institute supports both specialist researchers and wider audiences seeking to understand social movements and their legacies.

• Types of materials: personal papers, organisational archives, periodicals, ephemera and visual items.
• Typical uses: academic research, teaching, exhibitions and documentary projects.
• Access: on-site reading rooms, online catalogues and selected digital collections.

Further institutional and collection details are available through the institute’s information and catalogue portals for prospective visitors and researchers.