Contemporary History

Library

The Contemporary History Section manages and updates documentationcovering Africa, though the bulk of the collection concerns the Congo/Kinshasa, Rwanda and Burundi.
The most interesting, original and systematically developed documentary material of the institution concerns the history of and the political, social and economic developments in Congo/Kinshasa since 1959. In particular, this material includes documents that are rare or difficult to access; dailies, press cuttings and Belgian Congo and Congo Free State political history archives.

Content

Articles 10 470
Books 6 500 volumes
Dissertations and theses 1 221 volumes
Documents (including grey literature) > 9 500
Thematic files (newspapers cuttings) 1 111
Congolese press including 7 current  titles
(on a total of 450)
Roadmaps of Congo
 124
Archives on Congo's political history (1950-1981) 400 boxes
(928 files or items already catalogued)
Electoral posters (from 2006) 30


Practical information

  • Address for visitors :
    - Museumlaan 5B,  3080 Tervuren, Belgium (Finance Building, Floor -1 //  Building G on the map)
    -     Phone: +32 (0) 02/686.02.73 - fax : +32 (0)2/ 686.02.77
    - parking is available
    - accessible to disabled persons
    - copy machine : 0.15€ per copy
  • Opening hours: every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.This library is closed on Wednesday.
  • Contacts:
    - Van de Broeck Lore : daily management of the library and secretary
    - Simons Edwine : in charge of documentation management and assistant editor of Cahiers africains
    - Tréfon Théodore : Head of section

Online library catalogue

Most of the material has been computerised: the database presently contains some 28 518 references (listing all acquisitions since 1984) and can be consulted on-line :
Online Contemporary History Library catalogue

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