Alliance archive

The Alliance Archive and Library were founded and developed alongside the organization’s school network. The Alliance Library was established in 1860, together with the founding of the organization, with the aim of preserving the Jewish legacy and providing access to Jewish culture and the history of the Jewish people worldwide. During World War II, the Nazis stole the books and destroyed the organization’s buildings where they were kept. After the war, both the archive and library were rebuilt. Today, the library is considered the largest and most important private library in Europe dedicated to Judaism and the Hebrew language. It contains: Medieval manuscripts, fragments from the Cairo Gniza (including a manuscript signed by Maimonides), Hebrew and Jewish works preserved from the 15th to the 20th centuries, and a collection of illustrations and photographs. The library maintains close connections with leading libraries in Europe, America, and Israel. The library’s archive is accessible to researchers studying the history of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, French Jewry, the Jewish communities originated from Islamic countries, the Balkans and the Middle East, human rights, antisemitism, the history of Sephardic Jewry, and Zionism. The Bibliothèque exhibition is displayed digitally in the “Alliance Museum”.