About the collection

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

Our collection focuses on important themes such as labor, the environment, migration, gender, human rights, and global justice. It includes archives from trade unions, political parties, health insurance funds, NGOs, cultural organizations, and engaged artists. Our heritage comprises archival files, library collections, audiovisual materials, 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. Roughly half of this consists of archives, supplemented by more than 100,000 books, 17,000 magazine titles, and a museum collection including 850,000 photographs, 35,000 posters, and 20,000 works of art, including several masterpieces.

Our digital collection is also growing daily and currently comprises over 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 are essential in this regard. 

Sustainable heritage care 

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

We remain vigilant about social and technological developments. For example, we've made significant progress in digitization, with a special focus on, 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 assembled and preserved, we ensure they are easily accessible. Through our website, online catalog, and other platforms, we bring heritage closer to a wide audience and encourage reuse.

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Transfer your archive

Do you believe you possess valuable archival material that fits Amsab-ISG's collection profile and would you like to entrust it to us for safekeeping? Please contact us to discuss the transfer options.

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