Institute of Historical Research

Friday, October 30, 2009

Not to be confused with the Institute for Historical Review, an American Holocaust denial organisation.

The Institute of Historical Research (or IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate House. The Institute was founded in 1921 by A. F. Pollard. History
[edit] Foundation

The IHR was founded in 1921 by British historian Albert Pollard, a Professor of Constitutional History at University College London. The IHR was directly administered by the Senate of the University of London, rather than being part of one of the federal colleges. It was the first organisation to be administered under such an arrangement, and as such provided the model for other Institutes—many of which later joined the IHR in the University of London's School of Advanced Study.

The IHR's first premises were in 'temporary' huts on Malet Street, on a site now occupied by Birkbeck College. Despite the supposedly temporary nature of this accommodation, the IHR was not to move until 1947, when it took up residence in the north block of Senate House. Still occupying this position, many rooms in the IHR overlook the grass lawn in between Senate House and SOAS, which is where Senate House's unbuilt fourth court would have been.
[edit] Role
Senate House, home to the IHR since 1947

The IHR's role comprises the following:

To promote the study of history and an appreciation of the importance of the past among academics and the general public, in London, in Britain and internationally, and to provide institutional support and individual leadership for this broad historical community

To offer a wide range of services which promote and facilitate excellence in historical research, teaching and scholarship in the UK, by means of its library, seminars, conferences, fellowships, training and publications (both print and digital)

To further high quality research into particular aspects of the past by its research centres – the Centre for Contemporary British History, the Centre for Metropolitan History and the Victoria County History of England

To provide a welcoming environment where historians at all stages in their careers and from all parts of the world can meet formally and informally to exchange ideas and information, and to bring themselves up to date with current developments in historical scholarship

A room in the IHR Library


Sign in Senate House


An MA seminar in progress
[edit] Functioning of the IHR

In order to fulfill its role as defined above, the IHR maintains different academic institutions, such as a library, the seminar programme as well as several integrated bodies and programmes. It also continues to publish high quality historical research.
[edit] Library

From the beginning the founders of the Institute of Historical Research envisaged a combination of scholarship and library. This tradition is continued in that the seminars still take place in the rooms of the library. The library itself (its collection policy unaltered since the its foundation) collects sources for the History of Western Europe and areas affected by the European expansion. It now contains roughly 170,000 volumes. There are sizable holdings for the British Isles, as well as for Germany, Austria, France, the Low countries,Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America, the US and colonial history, ecclesiastical, Byzantine and crusader history as well as small holdings for Eastern Europe, Switzerland and Scandinavia. The library is particularly good for sources on local history both of the British Isles and Europe. It contains the largest collection of Low Countries material outside of those countries (due to gifts from the Netherlands and research interests of scholars working there), the most complete collection of French cartularies outside of France as well as collections of poll books for the United Kingdom and a complete run of the Victoria County History books. The collections have been supplemented by donations and bequests from many different scholars, such as the Wright collection (currently being integrated into the library holdings).
[edit] Seminar programme

The IHR supports and promotes a wide variety of seminars. They are accessible to all interested in the topic under discussion. Seminar topics range from the Early Middle Ages to Modern Britain, from the history of gardening to the philosophy of history. [1]
[edit] Conferences

In addition to the seminars the IHR is also involved with a number of conference. Of these the Anglo-American conference is probably the largest, but there are also many others being run throughout the year.
[edit] Integrated bodies

Besides the core activities, several research centres are integrated into the Institute. These are:-*the Victoria County History, who have recently developed "England's Past for Everyone"Institute of Historical Research. "Victoria Councy History". http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=71. Retrieved 2009-05-31. England's Past for Everyone(organization). "England's Past for Everyone". http://www.englandspastforeveryone.org.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=12. Retrieved 2009-05-31.

* CCBH and History & Policy "History and Policy, University of London". http://www.historyandpolicy.org/.
* Centre for Metropolitan History "Centre for Metropolitan History". Centre for Metropolitan History, University of London. http://www.history.ac.uk/cmh/cmh.main.html.
o The CCBH and the CMH offer taught M.A. and M.Phil.-- Ph.D. degrees can also be undertaken"University of London, Advanced Studies in History". http://www.history.ac.uk/degrees/.

[edit] Interesting facts
[edit] Nazi book donation housed in the IHR Library
One of the books donated to the IHR by Ribbentrop in 1937

Among the IHR’s extensive collection of books on European history are a set of books donated to the University of London by the Nazis in 1937. The presentation was made by Joachim von Ribbentrop, who was at the time Nazi Germany’s Ambassador to Britain. These books are still complete with original bookplates marking them as a ‘Gift of the German Reich’.

James Bavington Jeffreys, a student at the LSE at the time, wrote an account of the attempt by University of London students to block the donation. [1] Jeffreys attempted to rally support against the donation from the History teaching staff at the LSE. Among the staff he spoke to were Sir Charles Webster and Richard Tawney, but he was unable to raise any support amongst the academics against the donation. Eventually it was left to the students themselves to make a stand. Around fifty students gathered outside Senate House, and demonstrated as Ribbentrop arrived to make the donation. Jeffreys noted: “…more than one college of the University was represented, to show it was not just the ‘left-wingers’ of the LSE”