The historical archives of the European Society of Culture (SEC) are preserved at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence (Italy).
The SEC’s archival fonds were transferred from the Society’s former headquarters in Venice to the Historical Archives of the European Union following a long period of contacts and cooperation between the SEC Bureau and the Archives Directorate in Florence, with the aim of ensuring the best possible preservation of this important documentary heritage of post-war European history. An initial deposit agreement was signed on 12 December 2015. The fonds were subsequently deposited with the HAEU in two stages, in 2016 and 2019.
The documents cover the history of the Society from its foundation in 1950 through 2010. The private archives of Umberto Campagnolo, founder of the SEC, also provide an opportunity to further explore his biographical trajectory, including his early years. The SEC archives also contain documentation relating to the life and activities of the Society until the death, in 2011, of Michelle Campagnolo Bouvier, Secretary General of the SEC and wife of the founder.
The fonds comprise more than 120 boxes of documents, containing files and binders. They were transferred together with an inventory prepared by the SEC in 2005, under the direction of Secretary General Michelle Campagnolo Bouvier. The collection also includes two complete sets of the SEC’s historic journal, Comprendre.
The archives contain the complete documentation relating to the governance and functioning of the Society, including the series of reports and minutes of the General Assemblies from 1950 to 2010. They also preserve documents, correspondence and other materials relating to the activities of Umberto Campagnolo and to the numerous meetings, initiatives and conferences organised by the SEC throughout its history.
The documentation includes material relating to the Society’s work on East-West dialogue, its international meetings and initiatives, and its more recent activities, including the Kazan-Moscow Conference in 2006 and the SEC Summer Schools held between 2008 and 2010.
In 1996, the SEC archives were declared to be of “notable historical interest” by the Archival Superintendency of Veneto.
The fonds include:
The materials include paper documents, photographs, negatives, positives, slides, posters and a range of audiovisual media, including 8 mm film, cassettes and VHS.
The SEC archival fonds are open to public consultation at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence.
The inventory of the fonds is written in French, the official working language of the SEC.
The original documents - including paper documents, photographs and posters - are not directly available for consultation. They may be made available exclusively in the form of digitised reproductions.
For further information concerning access and consultation, and to submit a request for digital reproductions, please contact the Historical Archives of the European Union at: archiv@eui.eu
The Société européenne de culture fonds are available in the catalogue of the Historical Archives of the European Union: https://archives.eui.eu/en/fonds/458144?item=SEC
Digital reproductions of files from the SEC fonds, available for download as PDF.
Source: Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU), Florence, Société Européenne de Culture fonds. Published with the authorisation of the Historical Archives of the European Union.
Images from the SEC archive.
Photo: SEC Archive.