About the collection

Amsab-ISG is the memory of the social movements in Flanders and Belgium, from the mid-19th century to the present.

Our collection focuses on important themes such as labour, environment, migration, gender, human rights and global justice. It includes archives of trade unions, political parties, mutuals, NGOs, cultural organisations and committed artists. The heritage consists of archive files, library collections, audiovisual material, art and intangible heritage - increasingly in digital form.

Find the collection overview here

The collection in figures

With a total length of 16 kilometers, our collection is extensive. About half of this consists of archives, supplemented with more than 100.000 books, 17.000 magazine titles and a museum collection with, among other things, 850.000 photos, 35.000 posters and 20.000 art objects, including several masterpieces.

Our digital collection is also growing daily and currently comprises more than 25 TB of data, with approximately 4,4 million digital files.

Always in motion

Our collection evolves with changes in society and the heritage landscape. New forms of (digital) activism, such as #-activism, also have a place in our collection. The participation of heritage communities and collaboration with other organizations is essential in this.

Sustainable heritage care

Amsab-ISG offers professional and sustainable care for the heritage entrusted to us. We do this in close cooperation with our heritage communities, volunteers and professional partners, both nationally and internationally.

We remain alert to social and technological developments. For example, we have made great progress in digitalization, with special attention to, among other things, the archiving of websites and social media.

Heritage for everyone

We make heritage as accessible, searchable and reusable as possible. Once collections have been collected and preserved, we ensure that they are easy to consult. Through our website, online catalogue and other platforms, we bring heritage closer to a wide audience and stimulate reuse.

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Transfer your archive

Do you think you are in possession of valuable archive material that fits within the collection profile of Amsab-ISG and would you like to give it to us for safekeeping? Please contact us to discuss the possibilities for transfer.