Description of the Collection

 

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference Code: FrSbCOE

Title: Thematic Files of the Council of Europe

Dates Covered: 1948-1982

Description Level: Collection

Extent: 500 metres; 3,385 horizontal boxes which contain about 3,000 files.

Location: Council of Europe.

 

CONTEXT

Name of Creator: Council of Europe

Administrative History
The file series known as "Historical Archives" was created on the initiative of the first Council of Europe archivist, Mr Murphy, who was in charge of the Archives from 1973-1978. The thematic files collection was added to until 1980. In 2006 and 2007 the thematic files were transferred from suspension files to archival storage boxes.

 

CONTENT

The collection covers the period 1948-1982. The files contain material of different types: official documents, working documents, correspondence, newspaper clippings, designs and photos. Selected files and documents have been scanned and made available in electronic format.

The contents have the following themes:

  • History of the creation of the organisation from 1948 to 1949;
  • Organisational, legal and administrative framework of the Council of Europe;
  • All of the Organisation's fields of activity from 1948 to 1980: human rights, social affairs and health, culture and education, environment, local and regional democracy, legal affairs, political affairs, economic affairs;
  • Relations with other organisations (European Movement; Brussels Treaty Organisation and Western European Union; European Coal and Steel Community; European Economic Community; European Parliament; OECD; NATO; UN; International Labour Organization; UNESCO);
  • Detailed descriptions of specific files on the European anthem and the history of the Saar after the Second World War.

 

ACCESS

Conditions Governing Access: public 30 years after date of issue.

Finding Aids
Thematic files ('Black Book'). The file series are numbered 001 to 302. the boxes making up those series are numbered 1 to 3382.

 

DESCRIPTION

Date of Description: compiled on 12/09/2003, updated on 20 January 2016.