Conducts research and collects data on the global history of labour, workers, and labour relations

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Bert Nelemans
Since the IISH has only little original archival material about the former Dutch colony of Suriname, an unexpected acquisition of the papers of Bert Nelemans is particularly welcome. They were... [Collection highlight]
Afscheid van Suriname in 's Lands Hospitaal
Afscheidsfoto gemaakt in 's Lands Hospitaal (Paramaribo) in februari 1957 van de eerste door het psychiatrisch ziekenhuis Maasoord in Poortugaal geworven groep leerling-verpleegsters. Van links naar... [Collection item]
Knowledge-based Migration from Surinam to Africa
An employee of the Dutch West India Company located at Elmina (now South Ghana) reported on this day: 'We are of the opinion that it might be profitable to take an experiment in planting sugar (cane... [Item of the Day]
'Black Girls'
Afro-Surinamese women can be considered as the corner stone of Dutch society when it comes to caring for elderly and sick people. Their numbers in the care sector are very significant. In the 1960s,... [Item of the Day]
A Black Bolshevik
Sixteen-year old Surinam-born Otto Huiswoud jumped off a banana-boat docking in New York in 1910. He became a member of the Socialist Party of America and participated in the formation of the... [Item of the Day]
Colonial Exhibition
The first 'International Colonial and Export Exhibition', a type of World Fair, was held in Amsterdam from May 1 until October 1, 1883 adjacent to the Rijksmuseum.A few Surinamese were presented at... [Item of the Day]
Surinamese Nurses
At the end of the fifties many women from the Dutch colony of Surinam left for the Netherlands to receive nurse's training. In Holland the hospitals had a shortage of staff. The women graduated and... [Item of the Day]
Plantation Leases Slaves
The Klein-Pouderoyen plantation was owned by Dutch nationals, even after 1814, when Guyana became British territory. African slaves cultivated its main product, coffee. After the British prohibited... [Item of the Day]
Surinam: a Golden Future
Surinam, the former Dutch colony in South America, introduced its new flag on 25 November 1975, the day it gained independence. Shortly before independence, the Aron government held a competition for... [Item of the Day]
200 Slaves Arrived in Surinam
The Dutch colonies have published newspapers since the 18th century. A fine example is the Surinaamsche Nieuwsvertelder [The Surinam News Reporter] from Paramaribo, Surinam. This paper mainly reports... [Item of the Day]