Women's History Collections at the IISH: Introduction

The women who left information about their life and work in the International Institute of Social History were generally involved in the labour movement and other social movements. They were writers, journalists, newspaper publishers, politicians, historians, teachers, artists, nurses or philosophers. They campaigned for humane working conditions and fair wages, for peace, human rights, sexual reform, the improvement of education, health care, or better housing. They were socialists, Marxists, Trotskyists or anarchists. Among them were women's rights campaigners, feminists and suffragists. In some cases they were secretaries or translators assisting prominent writers or politicians, but often they were important thinkers or activists in their own right.

These individuals and their organizations are listed here to provide an overview of the primary sources for women's history in the archives and manuscript collections of the IISH. The lists are based on the Index to the Archival Collections held by the IISH. They contain additional entries for women whose papers are part of the archives of their correspondents or relatives, and some introductory biographical and bibliographical notes. This information will be updated and added to on an ongoing basis. In the near future, similar guides to women's history in the Institute's book & pamphlet, periodical and audio visual collections will be presented on this server.

International Guide | Dutch Guide (Dutch text)

For more information about the collections, please contact the IISH Reading Room.