The International Institute of Social History (IISG) is the world's largest documentation and research centre in the field of social history. It is one of the eighteen research institutes that fall under the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Since its foundation in 1935, the institute has dedicated itself to the collection, preservation and accessibility of the heritage of social movements worldwide. The IISH offers a safe repository for the threatened cultural heritage of the labour movement and other emancipatory groups and currents worldwide. The institute is established in Amsterdam, which stands as a symbol of safe haven for political and ethnic refugees fleeing from discrimination and persecution. The collection (archives, library and audio-visual materials) takes up well over 50 km of shelf space and digital content is becoming an increasingly important part of it.
