The archives hold records documenting the activities of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (formerly called the League of Red Cross Societies) that date from the foundation of the League in 1919.
The principle topics are: governance of the IFRC; disaster relief operations; refugee relief operations; health, especially nursing education, blood donation/transfusion, community health; Junior Red Cross (children); Centenary of the Red Cross; Red Cross Red Crescent and peace.
- Current publications of the IFRC are available online.
- Out-of-print publications are available for consultation in the archives. (Click on Advanced Search, then check “Publications of IFRC” box before searching.)
- Historic films and videos are available online.
The archival records are open to the public only by appointment with an archivist.
Contact the archivist
For further information on the archives, or to arrange an appointment with an archivist, please contact the archivists at the IFRC secretariat in Geneva:
Tel: +41 22 730 42 39 / +41 22 730 43 19
Fax: +41 22 733 03 95
Email: archives.contact@ifrc.org
Rules governing access to the IFRC archives
- The secretariat classifies as public the following records:
- IFRC publications that the secretariat makes available for sale to the public or distributes to the public for free.
- Decisions of the General Assembly, and policies and reports adopted through a decision, except for those decisions, policies and reports designated confidential by the General Assembly.
- Decisions of the Governing Board, and reports adopted through a decision, except for those decisions and reports designated confidential by the Governing Board.
- Minutes and reports of the General Assembly and of the Governing Board more than 20 years old.
- Unrestricted files of the secretariat that are more than 30 years old.
- The period after which a record becomes public is calculated from the date on which the record is closed.
- Records classified “restricted”, which are generally records containing personal data, are closed to the public.
- Digital cameras are permitted for making copies of documents.
Archives of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- American Red Cross
Email: redcrosshistory@redcross.org
Website - Australian Red Cross
Email: heritage@redcross.org.au
Website - Belgian Red Cross (Flemish section)
Contact the State Archives in Belgium - British Red Cross
Email: enquiry@redcross.org.uk
Website - Canadian Red Cross
Email: archives@redcross.ca
Website - Danish Red Cross
Email: molau@rodekors.dk
Website - Finnish Red Cross
Email: mari.vehkalahti@punainenristi.fi
Website - French Red Cross
Email: virginie.alauzet@croix-rouge.fr
Website - German Red Cross
Email: archiv@drk.de
Website - Association of the German Red Cross Museums
Website - Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: intdep@rcs.ir - Japanese Red Cross Society
The archives of the Japanese Red Cross Society are held in two locations:- Japanese Red Cross Society Headquarters, Information Plaza: https://toiawase.jrc.or.jp/english/contact_us/
- Japanese Red Cross Toyota College of Nursing Library: libr@rctoyota.ac.jp
- Norwegian Red Cross
E-mail: akivet@redcross.no - The Red Cross of Serbia
Website - Turkish Red Crescent Society
E-mail: arsiv@kizilay.org.tr - International Red Cross and Red Cresent Museum (Geneva)
Email: c.burer@redcrossmuseum.ch
Website
Other archives
- Prisoners of war
- Civilian victims of war
Contact the International Committee of the Red Cross Archives
Victims of Nazi persecution:
- Civilians incarcerated in concentration camps, ghettos, Gestapo prisons
- Forced labour
- Displaced persons
Contact the Arolsen Archives International Center on Nazi Persecution