You make history, we save it

Have you ever worked for social justice? Were you active in an association, action committee or trade union? Did you participate in demonstrations or campaigns on themes such as labour, gender, environment, migration or other social issues? Then you have contributed to a valuable history.

Amsab-ISG is there to preserve that history for the future. Read on to find out how you can transfer your archive so that your story is not lost.

Your archive or that of your organization can consist of all kinds of materials: documents, publications, posters, photos, videos, digital files and even objects. All of this material can make an important contribution to the understanding of social movements, both past and present. Amsab-ISG wants to safeguard your heritage so that future generations can consult it.

Do you think you are in possession of valuable archive material and would you like to give it to us for safekeeping? Please contact us to discuss the possibilities for transfer.

How does an archive transfer proceed?

Contact and first assessment - When you contact us, we will look together at whether your archive fits within the collection profile of Amsab-ISG. We do this by talking about the content, size and condition of the material. We usually decide within two weeks whether the archive is eligible for transfer.
Site visit and selection - If necessary, an Amsab-ISG employee will visit you to view the material. We will make a selection from the relevant archive and decide which pieces we will include. Duplicate or less important documents will not be included.
Transfer and transport - We agree on how the archive will reach us. This can be done by collecting the archive, delivering it or, in the case of digital files, via a secure transfer.
Second selection - After the transfer we make a second selection. In some cases material can still be removed later, but this is always discussed in advance. At the transfer a declaration of transfer is signed, in which any special agreements can be recorded.
Storage and processing - The selected archive is professionally registered and stored in our depot. In order to store the materials properly, we provide suitable climate control and use acid-free folders and archive boxes.
Accessibility - After processing, the archive will be made available via our online catalogue and reading room, so that researchers and other interested parties can consult it.

Conditions for transfer

The transfer of your archive to Amsab-ISG is completely free of charge, but there are some conditions:

The material must fit within our collection profile - This will be discussed in an initial interview.
Transfer of ownership - Archival documents are usually accepted as a donation, which means that ownership is transferred to Amsab-ISG.