Date of tip: 28 July 2006

Source: Luke Nichter, nluke@bgsu.edu 

Location: Avenue de l’Europe, 67075 Strasbourg (it’s not a very specific address, but you can’t miss it!)

How to get there: Easiest way is to stay in the area and walk.  The Council of Europe is located adjacent to a very attractive park (Parc de l’Orangerie, which even has a bowling alley!).  Walk right up the expansive front steps (with the school groups, tourists, and everyone else) to the front door.  There is a multi-lingual information office before you even get inside the door if you are not sure where to go (I didn’t).  However, all you need to do is come right in the door, go through security (just like the airports—bags get x-rayed and people go through the metal detector) and go to the welcome center to the right.  When you get up to the desk, tell them you’re there for the archives, and show them a printout of your email confirmation clearly showing them an archivist’s name.  They will call up to the archives to tell them you’ve arrived, issue you a security badge, and tell you to wait in the lobby until an archivist arrives to escort you to the reading room. 

Contact Details: archives@coe.int; Benjamin Palermiti was particularly helpful (Phone: +33.03.88.41.34.45).

Language: French, English

Getting started: The Council of Europe was one of the easiest archives I have ever used.  Simply contact them before your visit, and they will direct you to an online search available at their website, as well as let you know the general state of their inventory for your research topic.  When I arrived, they had the files I needed waiting on a table in the reading room with my name on them.  The Archives releases documents according to the 30-year rule.  

Opening Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9am – 12 Noon, Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm – 5:30pm, Friday closed (although I would check the latest information before arrival).

General working conditions: The reading room has maybe 6 or 8 large tables, a few computers, and a photocopy machine.  There are power outlets nearby for laptops.  I did not see any lockers, but they do not have a problem if you leave your bag under your table.  My impression is that they maintain a very laid-back reading room, hardly scrutinizing of anything I brought with me, and I was not supervised during my research (but this may have been because I was the only one there).  I did not actually see any materials request forms since my folders were waiting for me when I arrived.  

Consultation: As far as I know, there is no limit to the number of boxes you may consult in a day.  

Policy on technology: Laptops and digital cameras are permitted.  

Photocopy policy: There is a photocopier in the reading room, and I was told copies were free of charge, even though I did not use it since I was using a digital camera.

Particularities: There is a cafeteria on site, which is located near the main entrance, along with a gift shop and a bookstore.

How to apply for classified files: I am not aware of a procedure to apply for classified files, but if you have a related concern, I would ask the archivist when you make your initial inquiry.

Places to Stay: There are several hotels in the area near the park, but the area is generally very residential and approximately a fifteen minute walk to the city center.  I stayed at the La Residence Jean-Sebastien Bach (€70, includes breakfast), and walked to the archive.  If you have driven a car to Strasbourg, there is plenty of free parking around the area of the park and above-mentioned hotel.  The neighbourhood is generally quiet and pleasant, even when I was there on the night of the World Cup Final!

Funding: I am not aware that any funding is available.