Arbetarrörelsens arkiv och bibliotek

In 1892, most of Stockholm's trade union libraries were merged into the Stockholm Workers' Library in the Folkets Hus premises at Barnhusgatan 14 in central Stockholm. The Labor Movement Archive was founded in 1902 as a department within the Stockholm Labor Library. The documents of the labor movement were to be preserved for the future, and extensive collection work began. The initiator was Oscar Borge, who worked at the Stockholm Labor Library and was also a prominent marine biologist.

On 1 July 1906, the Labour Movement's archives came under the joint ownership of the National Union (Landsorganisationen, LO) and the Social Democrats. Borge led the establishment of the archive and was its director until 1937. The institution was reorganized and became a foundation on 1 July 1966. In 2001, Arbetarrörelsens arkiv och bibliotek (Labour Movement’s Archives and Library) became the official name.

The Labour Movement’s Archives and Library documents the history of the Swedish labor movement. Its stated purpose is to “collect, care for and organize the material” as well as “facilitate for researchers, students and the general public to take part of the institution’s material”. The archive's collection reflects the history of the Swedish labour movement from the mid-19th century until today.

The Swedish Labour Movement’s Archives and Library is an independent foundation with the Swedish government, The Trade Union Confederation of Sweden and the Social Democratic Party as principals.

The archive concentrates on the archives of national organisations and on Stockholm-based organisations.

Since the fall of 2012, Arbetarrörelsens arkiv och bibliotek is located at Elektronvägen 2 in Flemingsberg, south of Stockholm.

records from political parties, unions and other organisations as well as personal documents from people within the labour movement.

Among these are, for example, the Social Democratic Party, The Left Party of Sweden, the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, and the Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden (syndicalists), as well as the women’s and youth organisations. Other areas of interest are those associated with workers’ culture, for example the Workers’ Educational Association, the People’s Houses, the People’s Parks and the Swedish Union of Tenants, as well as newspapers and publishing houses.

The archive has several organizational archives with scattered documents relating to Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany and Holocaust survivors, although the organizations were generally not focused on helping Jews.

The archive has an on-line catalogue: https://www.arbark.se/en/archival-catalogue/