International Union of Students Collection

Period  (1943) 1946-1970 (1975)
Total size   1.7 m.
Consultation Not restricted

History

Founded in Prague 1946 as a world wide nonpartisan association of National Unions of Students (NUSes); aimed to foster international understanding and lasting peace the IUS supported contemporary efforts to continue the anti-Hitler war coalition in peacetime; with its secretariat in Prague the IUS was strongly influenced by communists in key positions from the beginning; left by most Western member unions after the communist take-over in Czechoslovakia 1948 (see International Student Conference), became a communist controlled front organization; from 1956 noncommunist NUSes from the Third World (Latin America especially) got some influence on IUS policy; in 1968 IUS strongly protested when the host country was invaded by its socialist allies; periodicals: World Student News and News Service.

Content

Collection of mainly stencilled documents and printed material (partly photocopies). Files on congresses 1946-1967, Council meetings 1947-1955 and Executive Committee meetings 1949-1968, consisting of proceedings, reports, resolutions, circulars, clippings; proceedings of Secretariat meetings 1952; files on relief work 1950-1957, the struggle against colonialism 1951-1970, the action for peace 1951-1970, the Vietnam war 1964-1969, contacts with the International Student Conference (ISC) 1954-1967 etc.; files on student organizations in various countries 1947-1970; documents of the British National Union of Students 1942-1962, including some correspondence with the IUS and documents on the International Student Conference, London 1949; circulars 1946, 1950-1970; leaflets 1952-1968; press clippings 1952-1960.

Processing information

Inventory made by J.R. van der Leeuw in 1970