International Institutions and Societies

 Co-operative for the Advancement of Research through a Medieval European Network, Carmen

Carmen is a worldwide network, bringing together groups of medievalists (including ’federations of centres’, such as national or supranational research centres, disciplinary bodies, or societies of individuals) which operate at a level above that of individual universities, as well as individual universities, public and private bodies (e.g. museums, galleries, publishers), actively involved in the teaching or research of the Middle Ages (ca. 400-1500 AD/CE).

 The International Centre for Scientific Research

The International Center for Scientific Research (CIRS) is an international scientific organization, created to foster and promote all aspects of science and scientific research. It aims at the largest audience : specialists, researchers, students as well as everyone interested in science.

 European Science Foundation

The ESF provides a common platform for its Member Organisations in order to advance European research, and to explore new directions for research at the European level. Through its activities, the ESF serves the needs of the European research community in a global context.

 Creating Links and Innovative Overviews for a New History Research Agenda for the Citizens of a Growing Europe

Cliohres is a Sixth Framework Programme Network of Excellence organized by a group of 45 universities. A five year project, it aims at achieving and disseminating greater understanding of both the actual histories and the self-representations of the past current in Europe today, highlighting both diversities and connections and explaining the context of their development. It brings together historians, geographers, art historians, linguists, theologists, philologists, sociologists and philosophers in order to explore how differences, connections, conflicts and positive interaction have developed in the past and can develop in the future. It involves 180 research staff and doctoral students from 31 countries.

 European University Institute (History and Civilisation)

The primary activities of the Institute is perhaps best described in terms of a doctoral school researchers are doing research at a variety of levels, including since two years the post-doctoral level. In a number of cases research is coordinated and working groups are created that focus on themes, topics and approaches shared by PhD-researchers, post-doctoral fellows and professorial members of the department. More in general, professors supervise doctoral projects which touch their own research focus and interests, but that are not necessarily part of their research projects.

 The International Commission of Historical Sciences

The ICHS includes two sorts of organizations. First of all, there are the National Committees formed in each country from their individual centers for historical research. A board composed of a president, one or several vice-presidents, a secretary-general, a treasurer and members direct each National Committee. In addition, International Commissions specializing in particular fields of history (some known as ‘International Affiliated Organizations’ and others as ‘Internal Commissions’) have formed over the years. Associated with the ICHS, these organizations work to combine advancements from a specific area of historical science with the more general research topics dealt with by the National Committees. There are a total of forty-one International Commissions covering fields as diverse as maritime history, ecclesiastical history, the history of the Crusades to the French revolution, from historical metrology to the history of sports, etc.

 The International Council on Archives

The aim of ICA is to promote the management and use of records and archives and the preservation of the archival heritage of humanity around the world, through the sharing of experiences, research and ideas on professional archival and records management matters and on the management and organisation of archival institutions.

 International Society for History Didactics

History education should have as its goal the development of free individuals capable of independent democratic and socially responsible judgment, rather than overt or covert indoctrination. Through international professional cooperation history educators ought to promote an understanding of world history as an integral part of history education in all forms and at all levels, not only through schools and other educational institutions but also through the mass media. A new historical awareness is needed today so that we can understand how the world arrived at its present state, how to build bridges across past and present divisions, how to articulate an understanding and appreciation for cultural differences, and how to make the world a better and safer place in which to live.

 The International Commission for the History and Theory of Historiography

The Commission on Historiography was established at the 15^th International Congress of Historical Sciences, held in Bucharest in 1980. It makes an important contribution to the quinquennial International Congress of Historical Sciences. It seeks in addition to fulfil the following roles: (1) to provide a strategic centre for the advancement and co-ordination of efforts to promote the theory and history of historiography as subjects of research and teaching among historians across the world; (2) to encourage frequent conferences, workshops and consultancies aimed at promoting the subject in a variety of learning situations; (3) to establish and maintain close links with learned journals and academic institutions specialising in theoretical and historiographical approaches to the study of the past; (4) to avoid regional or ethnocentric preoccupations in order to ensure that the Commission reflects the historical interests of all cultures.

 International Union of Academies

The aims of the IUA are to encourage cooperation in the advancement of studies through collaborative research and publications in those branches of learning promoted by the Academies and institutions represented in the IUA - philology, archeology, history, the moral, political and social sciences.

 Humanities in the European Research Area, Hera

On 9 January 2009, the HERA Joint Research Programme (HERA JRP) partners have launched a joint call for trans-national Collaborative Research Projects (CRPs) in two humanities research areas: “Cultural Dynamics: Inheritance and Identity” and “Humanities as a Source of Creativity and Innovation”. By launching the first HERA JRP call for proposals, 13 national funding partners want to create collaborative, trans-national research opportunities that will derive new insights from humanities research in order to address major social, cultural, and political challenges facing Europe. In consultation with their national researcher communities, they have jointly defined and developed common research priorities, and created a new trans-national funding mechanism.

 International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA)

The purposes for which the International Center of Medieval Art is formed are to promote and encourage the study, understanding, and appreciation of the visual arts of the Middle Ages produced in Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Slavic world, during the period between ca. 300 and ca. 1500 C.E.; and to this end to sponsor and otherwise support study, teaching, conferences, exhibitions, displays, and publications devoted to medieval art and culture.

 Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi

Founded in 1952, the international CORPUS VITREARUM was the first research enterprise of art history to be formed at an international level. It was placed under the patronage of the Comité International d’Histoire de I’Art (CIHA), the UNESCO and the Union Académique International (UAI). Its goal is to support the totality of research work, the edition of all medieval stained glass in one complete work, and scientific exchanges across national borders. Today, the CVMA has thirteen member countries in Europe, the United States, and Canada, united in an international board. Since 1975, the Research Center in Freiburg has been placed under the administrative authority of the "Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz". The Center has a specialized library containing a great number of books on medieval stained glass and photo archives with approximately 33.000 large-sized black and white negatives and 60.000 color transparencies of stained glass located in Germany and parts of France (Alsace and Lorraine).

 International Committee of Art History

The CIHA has as its aims to develop the historical and methodological study of artistic activities and productions; to ensure permanent links between art historians of all countries; to stimulate international meetings of art historians; to stimulate and co-ordinate the dissemination of information about research undertaken under the aegis of CIHA; to disseminate information and publicity about art historical activities world-wide: conferences, publications, research projects etc.; to study means of improving methods of teaching and research, and of increasing the research resources available to art historians: data bases, bibliographies, photographic and iconographical documentation, etc; to serve international co-operation in the sense defined by the CIPSH.

 Centre international d’études romanes

Le C.I.E.R. fut ainsi créé en 1953 dans le but d’utiliser les bâtiments rénovés et de regrouper les amateurs d’art roman. Son conseil d’administration est composé par moitié d’amateurs et de spécialistes, l’idée de la fondatrice était de donner un public d’amateurs éclairés aux professeurs d’université, conservateurs de musées, archéologues, architectes des monuments historiques.

 The Society for Medieval Archaeology

The Society for Medieval Archaeology exists to further the study of the period from the 5^th to the 16^th century A.D. by publishing a journal of international standing dealing primarily with the archaeological evidence, and by other means such as by holding regular meetings and arranging conferences. While maintaining a special concern for the medieval archaeology of Britain and Ireland, the society seeks to support and advance the international study of this period (as broadly defined above) in Europe. It also aims to serve as a medium for co-ordinating the work of archaeologists with that of historians and scholars in any other discipline relevant to this field.

 Social History

International Institute of Social History

The International Institute of Social History (IISH) was founded in 1935. _ It is one of the world’s largest documentary and research institutions in the field of social history in general and the history of the labour movement in particular. Most of the collections are open to the public.

International Federation for Research in Women’s History

The Federation aims to encourage and promote research in all aspects of women’s and gender history at the international level. It organises regular conferences and publishes a biannual newsletter. The Federation is an affiliated organisation of the International Congress of Historians. National Committees serve as liaison between communities of researchers and the Federation.

L’Institut européen d’histoire et des cultures de l’alimentation

L’IEHCA a trois principaux objectifs: (1) contribuer au développement de la recherche en sciences humaines et sociales concernant l’alimentation; (2) contribuer à une meilleure prise de conscience de l’importance de nos modes alimentaires et culinaires comme éléments de notre patrimoine et de notre culture; (3) contribuer à faire de l’université François-Rabelais un pôle de recherche et de formation reconnu en ce qui concerne les sciences de l’alimentation.

Société internationale pour l’étude des femmes de l’Ancien Régime

La SIEFAR se propose de faire connaître, ou mieux connaître, ou découvrir les conditions d’existence, la pensée, l’action, les oeuvres des femmes reliées d’une quelconque manière à la France (celles qui vivaient dans le royaume, mais aussi celles qui voyageaient, s’expatriaient, se mariaient, écrivaient, correspondaient, traduisaient, étaient traduites), dans la longue période qui s’étend du Moyen Age à la Révolution.

 Rural and Environmental History

International Commission for Historical Demography

The International Committee for Historical Demography (ICHD) is an association of members of different nationalities, whose aim is to encourage the study of the history of population and of human society in general, and to further scientific exchange between researchers.
The ICHD takes an interest in initiatives aiming at the development, the diffusion and the teaching of the science of historical demography.

Comparative Rural History of the North Sea Area (CORN)

CORN is a research network founded in 1995 on the initiative of the Ghent University and the Catholic University of Leuven. It is composed out of 22 research units that primarily want to study long term development of the rural society from the Middle Ages to the 20 century in the North Sea Area. One of the mean goals in the next 5 years is to prepare a publication of a new general rural history of Western Europe from a comparative point of view.

European Association for Environmental History

The European Association for Environmental History (EAEH) was a forerunner of ESEH but ceased to exist in 1995. However, a small group in the United Kingdom kept the UK branch alive and continued its annual meetings until the present day. By doing so these meetings developed into inspiring environmental history workshops were researchers present their latest work and discuss issues and questions of the field. These kind of small and regional meetings are very valuable for the development of environmental history in Europe and are encouraged and supported by ESEH.

International Association for the Study of the Commons

The International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) is a multidisciplinary academic organization focused on building and mobilizing knowledge around many integrated social-economic and environmental issues with a particular focus on how to avoid the “tragedy of the commons”. The organization is over 20 years old and gained significant notoriety in 2009 when one of its founding members (Elinor Ostrom) won the Nobel Prize in Economics. A significant body of research and practice speaks to the importance of common pool resource management to local and global sustainability.

 Economic and Financial History

European Association for Banking and Financial History

The European Association for Banking History was founded in November 1990 as a forum for research into banking history. Within a short time it had developed into an internationally recognised organisation, highly respected for its work in the field of banking history and archives.

International Economic History Association

Welcome to the internet page of the International Economic History Association (IEHA)! The IEHA has been established in 1960, and unites economic historians from 20 countries in Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Every three or four years the IEHA organizes a World Economic History Congress.

 History of Education and Ideas

International Standing Conference for the History of Education

ISCHE aims to foster research in the field of the History of Education; facilitate international contact, intellectual exchange and co-operation between all those who work in the field of the History of Education; develop an appreciation of the History of Education and its contribution to an understanding of Education; encourage the teaching of the History of Education; arrange and promote sessions, including the ISCHE Periodical Sessions (annual conference), seminars, study groups, meetings, working groups, networks, websites and publications towards achieving these aims.

International Society for the Study of Medieval Philosophy

SIEPM was founded on September 2^nd, 1958. It facilitates the exchange of ideas and information between researchers in medieval philosophy. This is achieved through Congresses and Symposia, the Bulletin de philosophie médiévale and through this website.

The International Commission for the History of Universities

The ICHU was founded in Stockholm in 1960 by Professor Sven Stelling-Michaud from Geneva. From 1964, the Commission was an internal commission of the International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS). In 1977, it became an affiliated commission in this same organization of historians. The statutes of the Commission state that its objectives are to "promote all forms of historical research on universities and to ensure the international coordination of the same, in conjunction with the International Committee of Historical Sciences." The Commission’s members meet at least every five years during the International Congress of the Historical Sciences, when it also holds its general assembly. They also meet for other scientific events.

 World History

International Association of Byzantine Studies

The International Association of Byzantine Studies was launched in 1948. The need for its foundation arose in the Byzantine congresses of that time. The International Bureau constitutes the permanent executive body of AIEB, with the participation of representatives of all national committees. From its first steps AIEB, under the presidency of Paul Lemerle and following the proposal of Dionysios Zakythinos, decided the publication of the Bulletin d’ information et de coordination aiming to the promotion of Byzantine studies at an international level. The Bulletin, the first issue of which appeared in 1964, continued to circulate in conventional form for many years, informing all those interested about new publications and works under preparation, as well as research programs of individual scholars or groups in various sectors of Byzantine studies. The Bulletin offers the reader an opportunity to follow the development of Byzantine studies in various countries.

International Commission for the History of Travel and Tourism

The ICHTT is an affiliated commission of the International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS). It was founded on the occasion of the international conference "Tourisms: Identities, Environments, Conflicts and Histories" (University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK, 21-23 June 2001). The seat of the Commission is at the Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano.

 Urban History

European Association of Urban History

The European Association for Urban History (EAUH) was established in 1989 with the support of the European Union. Conferences are organised every two years. These biennial conferences provide a multidisciplinary forum for historians, sociologists, geographers, anthropologists, art and architectural historians, economists, ecologists, planners and all others working on different aspects of urban history. This invitation is extended to all scholars who make urban history a distinctive and innovative subject.

International Commission of the History of Towns

The International Commission for the History of Towns (ICHT) was founded at the International Congress for Historical Sciences at Rome in 1955 with the aim of facilitating contacts between urban historians and building up a number of research tools. Up to now the Commission has issued the Elenchus fontium historiae urbanae, national bibliographies on urban history, and historical atlases of towns. Following common criteria, these tools facilitate a comparative approach to urban history in time and space. This is one of the main aims of the ICHT. The ICHT now also intends to offer research reports which have been elaborated on a geographical and/or thematic basis.

 History of Church and Religion

International Commission for the History of Christianity

CIHEC’s purpose is to facilitate contacts and exchanges of information between historians of Christianity working in different countries. It does this principally by organising international conferences.

International Society of Medieval Canon Law

Iuris Canonici Medii Aevi Consociatio (ICMAC), or the International Society of Medieval Canon Law, was founded in 1988 in order to foster and support the study of medieval canon law from the time of the early Church to the later middle ages. ICMAC is a truly international community with members in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Argentina and Japan.

International medieval sermon studies society

The IMSSS promotes and fosters the study of medieval sermons and preaching in Latin and the vernacular languages within their social, literary, religious, intellectual, theological, catechetical, political and historical contexts. The Society also promotes and fosters the study of various artes praedicandi, and theories of preaching derived from them, as well as material used by sermon writers (e.g., Florilegia, commentaries, etc.).

 Maritime History

International Commission for Maritime History

The ICMH, founded in 1960, is an international organisation affiliated with the International Committee of Historical Sciences. The objectives of the Commission are to encourage and co-ordinate research by maritime historians in a spirit of international understanding.
Regional History.

 Auxiliary Sciences

International Numismatic Commission

The International Numismatic Commission was founded in 1934 «to facilitate cooperation between scholars and between institutions in the field of numismatics and related disciplines». The Commission has now about 150 members from 36 countries. These include museums, university institutes, numismatic societies and mints.

Commission Internationale de Diplomatique

Cette Commission a pour but de favoriser la collaboration internationale dans le domaine de la diplomatique et des disciplines en relation avec elle et, plus généralement, dans tout ce qui concerne la critique des documents et leur édition.

Comité international pour la métrologie historique

The International Comittee for Historical Metrology (CIMH) intends to develop and advance the research on the field of history of meisures and weights and to distribute the results of this research.
The CIMH is a scientifice section of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science and an internal comission of the Comité International des Sciences Historiques (CISH).

Association paléographique internationale (Culture • Écriture • Société)

APICES is open to everyone who is interested in the scholarly study of the history of writing (ancient and medieval scripts), books and documents, both in their physical aspects and in their contents, the persons and institutions connected with making, using and keeping them. Although the domain concerned with Latin script is the predominant one, scholars working in other periods and cultural areas (especially the Mediterranean) are also welcome. The study of manuscripts will not be dissociated from other close areas of interest: in particular the beginning of the printing press, where the incunable tries to mechanise the work of the scribes; but also inscriptions on various supports, which constitute important evidence to the role played by writing among the Ancient and Medieval civilisations.

Comité international de paléographie latine

Le Comité international de paléographie latine [CIPL] se propose " Favoriser la collaboration internationale dans le domaine de la paléographie " (la codicologie se trouvant incluse sous ce dernier terme). Le domaine de ces disciplines englobe: (1) L’étude des différents types d’écriture en usage, de leur genèse, de leur évolution, de leur diffusion et de leurs emplois spécifiques ; (2) Le déchiffrement et l’expertise (datation, localisation) des anciens documents écrits, quelle qu’en soit la nature (livres, documents administratifs...) ; (3) L’analyse des matériaux et des techniques de fabrication mis en oeuvre pour produire ces documents ; (4) L’étude du processus de transmission des textes par copies successives, et des procédés utilisés pour faciliter la lisibilité des textes ; (5) L’étude des centres de copie, de leur organisation, de leurs relations, de leur rôle dans la diffusion des textes et dans la vie intellectuelle ; (6) L’étude des fonds de manuscrits aujourd’hui conservés dans les bibliothèques, de la façon dont ils se sont constitués au cours des âges et sont parvenus jusqu’à nous. Ce programme concerne toute l’aire de diffusion de l’alphabet latin (quelle que soit la langue à laquelle il s’applique), et pour la période qui s’étend de l’Antiquité romaine à la généralisation de l’imprimé (fin du XVI^e siècle).

Comité international de paléographie grecque

Le Comité international de paléographie grecque a pour but de favoriser la collaboration internationale dans le domaine de la paléographie et de la codicologie grecques. Il use des moyens les mieux appropriés pour atteindre ce but, tels que la tenue de congrès et de colloques, des enquêtes internationales, la diffusion d’informations scientifiques, et il peut patronner la publication d’instruments de travail relatifs à son domaine.

Porta Historica

The ’Porta Historica’ network brings together, at the international level, institutions that play a national or international role in facilitating historical research by editing and publishing (in print or digitally) historical sources in a broad sense (editions, reference works, databases etc.). The object of the network is to promote cooperation among these institutions and to increase their expertise.

 Military and Political History

International Commission of Comparative Military History

The “International Commission of Comparative Military History” was formed in 1938. From 1973 forward, this Commission has organized its own annual congresses. The Commission also fosters international cooperation and scholarly discussion across borders by publishing the proceedings of these Congresses (“Acta”), as well as specialized “Reviews” (90 volumes) and the “International Bibliography of Military History”. The CIHM now comprises 40 National Commissions.

Centre européen d’études bourguignonnes (XIV^e–XVI^e siècle)

The “European Centre for Burgundian Studies (14^th-16^th centuries)” (CEEB) has existed for 60 years and is a research centre that is open to all those interested in our fascinating subject. The aim of the CEEB is to promote, encourage and coordinate scholarly research that concerns the historical period of the dukes of Burgundy and the first Habsburgs in Western-Europe

 Association Internationale pour l’Étude du Moyen Français

This associations wants to assemble international research on medieval French.

 The Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections

The Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections (AMARC) promotes the accessibility, preservation and study of manuscripts and archives in libraries and other research collections in Great Britain and Ireland. It brings together curators, researchers and all who share a scholarly interest in this field.

 The International Courtly Literature Society

The function of the Society is to promote the study of courts and court-related cultures, with particular reference to the written records of medieval Europe. Appropriate areas include medieval vernacular genres (lay, romance, lyric poetry, drama, etc.), medieval Latin literature, the historical background to court life, and medieval art, architecture and music. Arthurian material is covered only in as far as it corresponds to the interests of the Society.

 Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing

The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing was founded to create a global network for book historians working in a broad range of scholarly disciplines. Research addresses the composition, mediation, reception, survival, and transformation of written communication in material forms including marks on stone, script on parchment, printed books and periodicals, and new media. Perspectives range from the individual reader to the transnational communications network. With more than 1000 members in over twenty countries, SHARP works in concert with affiliated academic organizations around the world to support the study of book history and print culture.