Historical Background
Towards the end of 1964 a campaign was launched to establish a centre for the collection and preservation of political documents at the University of the Free State with a view to the writing of a South African political history since 1902.
The stimulation of contemporary historiography was as yet a barren field in South Africa. As a result, the Institute for Contemporary History came into existence towards the end of 1970. The Institute consisted of three divisions, namely the Documentation Division, the Press Cutting - and the Research Division. In 1998 the Documentation Division became fully autonomous.
Objectives
The Institute is responsible for the collection, safekeeping, arrangement and description of archivalia and for making it accessible to researchers.
At present the Institute houses more than 900 private document collections. This includes the collections of economists, politicians, church, cultural and community leaders.
The Institute has a fully equipped Sound Archive at its disposal, for recording the memoirs of individuals. Hundreds of audio cassettes containing precious research material have already been processed and are available to researchers.
Above and beyond the collections of private documents and the sound archive material, the Institute has a very comprehensive collection of newspapers and newspaper cuttings, official publications, an unique collection of pamphlets, thousands of photographs, press releases and speeches of Ministers.
Services
Expert personnel are available to answer enquiries or if requested, will do research at a fixed tariff on behalf of students in South Africa and abroad. Please read this section on user information.
The Institute is renowned countrywide for its wide-ranging and unique research service to all schools by means of which scholars can obtain research material for assignments, debates and addresses.
Collections
Private collections of donors
Contact Address
Institute for Contemporary History (INCH)
P.O. Box 2320
University of the Free State
Bloemfontein 9300
Republic of South Africa
Tel (+27) (051) 401 2418
Fax (+27) (051) 401 2418
E - Mail JonesE.BIB@mail.uovs.ac.za |
