Archives de l'Université catholique de Louvain

The Catholic University of Louvain created an archival centre in 1982 following the decision of the Administrative Council on 29 April 1981. The creation of the archives were necessary after fonds and collections divided between UCLouvain and KUL were brought on in 1979, which is also the year that UCLouvain definitively moved to Louvain-la-Neuve and Louvain-en-Woluwe.

Creation of the archives was due to the decision of the Administrative Council on 29 April 1981.

The Archives of UCLouvain are part of the administration of UCLouvain and are under the authority of General Administrator.

The archives are responsible for the entirety of the archives kept at UCLouvain. They are also responsible for managing all documents from all departments of UCLouvain. They hold definitive archives of the institution and its members as well as certain exterior or deposited fonds .

The Archives of UCLouvain hold many different types of documents (texts, photographs, visual and audiovisual, but also objects) in paper and digital form. They include:

• Fonds and collections regarding the former University of Louvain (1425-1797), the State University of Louvain (1817-1835) and the Unitary Catholic University of Louvain (1834-1968) given to UCLouvain according to the agreement with KUL.

• Archives generated by the Catholic University of Louvain since 1968 (archives of the education office, central administration, faculty administration, archives of the institutions and research centres.

• Personal archives (donated by professors, students or persons affiliated with the university), isolated pieces received or gained.

• Documents holding their very own cultural value (collection of manuscripts, external fonds regarding various subject not linked with the university.

• Several fonds from the Center for the Study of Contemporary European History/Centre d'études d'histoire de l'Europe contemporaine de l'UCLouvain (CEHEC) have been donated.

• Documents with their own cultural value (manuscript collections, so-called "external" collections on various subjects not related to the University).

The entirety of the archives are held in fonds and collections.

The Fonds

The Archives hold fonds that can be divided into four distinct categories:

• Fonds of the institution (FI) which cover UCLouvain and its members. This fonds holds documentation concerning the administration of the niversity as well as student life (student associations) and its members (professors, researchers, administrative staff or students). Some fonds have been donated by private persons, others are administrative fonds which are regularly donated by university departments.

• The external fonds (FE) comprise documents donated to the Archives of UCLouvain by institutions and private persons who do not have a direct relation to the history of the university, but whose documents are important to preserve.

• The deposited fonds (FD) are those fonds which have been donated by UCLouvain or other entities to the Archives so that their preservation can be ensured and so that they can be made easily accessible to visitors in the Archives' reading room. However, it is important to note that the entities who deposited their collection with the Archives retain their rights over the documents (and ownership in the case of third parties at UCLouvain) and they are responsible for issuing consultation authorisations.

• The managed fonds (FG) are fonds that are not held by the archive of UCLouvain, but for which the Archives are also partly responsible, in co-management with other entities.

The Collections

Documents related to UCLouvain as well as external documents that have no link to UCLouvain can be found in the Archives' collections.

One collection of particular importance includes documents related to the workings of UCLouvain and holds directories and study programs of UCLouvain from 1834, regulations, official reports, publications, etc. It also holds bio-bibliography files on professors. The other collections hold visual and audiovisual documents, courses (since 17th Century), folders, newspapers, paintings, etchings, scientific objects, educational material, certificates, medallions, flags, emblems, furniture, clothes, manuscripts and papyri.

The Libraries

The Archives have two distinct libraries:

• The History of the Universities of Louvain Library
• The Archival Library

Publications :

• Françoise HIRAUX et Françoise MIRGUET, Collection de cours manuscrits de l’Université de Louvain 1425-1797, Catalogue analytique, Louvain-la-Neuve, Academia-Bruylant, 2003, 585 p.
• Françoise HIRAUX et Françoise MIRGUET, L'institut supérieur de philosophie de Louvain (1889-1968). Inventaire des archives Introduction historique, Louvain-la-Neuve, Academia-Bruylant, 2008, 520 p.

Many non-published inventories are currently being encoded in the Archives' online catalogue, AtoM, but can be given after sending a request to the archivists. A summary list of the fonds and collections is available on the site of the archives at:

https://archives.uclouvain.be/atom/