Date of tip: February 2006

Source: Vincent Lagendijk, v.c.lagendijk@tm.tue.nl

Location: Palais des Nations, Geneva.

How to get there: From Cornavin train station, take Tram 13 to Nations. From here, continue along Rue de la Paix. The visitor's gate, called Pregny, of the Palais des Nations is a 5 to 10 minutes walk, and opposite to the International Red Cross Headquarters.

Language: Ms. Pejovic, who manages the archive, is fluent in German, French and English. The official documents that are available in the reading room on request are in the two main working languages of the League of Nations, English and French. Most of the documents are available in both languages. The other material – letters, memos etc. – are also in either of these two languages.

Getting started: Getting to the archive means getting on UN property; which implies leaving Swiss soil. Security measures around and in the Palais des Nations have been tightened the recent years. Expect a routine similar as at the average airport. On the whole, still, access is relatively easy to arrange by announcing oneself to the archivist, of course some time before the actual visit. Then security at the gate should be informed of your arrival on the specified date. The guards will exchange your passport for a visitor's badge. Once passed security one heads for Port 19, which is to the left, down the stairs between the Palais and the Batiment E (do not forget to admire the view over Lake Geneva), to the right and into the library wing. The archive is on the third floor in the left corner.

Opening Hours: From 8:30 until 17:30; a mandatory lunch break is held between 12:30 and 13:30. The UN in Geneva usually closes for several weeks in December and January. 

General working conditions: On your arrival, a table will be assigned as well as a personal pigeonhole. The latter can be used to store documents and archival boxes overnight. As the archive is in the same wing as the voluminous UNOG library, reference works are at close hand. Already, a lot of relevant work on the League is present in the reading room. At the first floor, one also finds the small but entertaining League archive. For example, here historians can gaze at the original Locarno Pact, glanced at by Aristide Briand's statute.

Consultation: Researchers are allowed to have on box on their table at the time. The pigeonhole takes up to a maximum of five boxes. New requests will be pulled at 

Policy on technology: Laptops and digital still cameras are allowed. Scanners on the other hand, are not. Sockets are available (although an adaptor is useful). A huge collection of digital photographs of the League's activities and staff can be found on http://www.indiana.edu/~league/, and eventually used when permission is obtained from the archive.

Photocopy policy: Free copies are provided, with a maximum of 30 copies per day.

Particularities: The Palais is a huge but charming building, originally built to harbour the League of Nations. Today it is the European headquarters of the United Nations. Unfortunately, one is not allowed to wonder around in this building (one-hour tourist tours are given every day, besides Sunday).  For lunch, it is allowed to use the Palais' restaurant. It offers different hot meals, a salad bar, and a small pizzeria. Strolling along the beautiful park is permitted. Across the archive's reading room is a coffee machine.

How to apply for classified files: n/a

Places to Stay: For short visits, and to save some money in expensive Geneva, head for the City Hostel on Rue de Lausanne. For longer trips, the apartments on Rue Dizerens are good value for money.