Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine, assisted by Léonie La Fontaine, founded the Mundaneum in 1895. Their archives have a special status given their close links to the history of the institution.
Paul Otlet’s personal papers (1868-1944)
The son of Édouard Otlet, a businessman who made his fortune in tramways, Otlet studied law before devoting himself entirely to bibliography and archives. Considered the founding father of what he called documentation (information science) and a precursor of the internet, he dedicated his life to promoting access to knowledge with the aim of fostering world peace. This vision, enshrined in the Mundaneum, is at the heart of Otlet’s utopian project for a world city dedicated to knowledge and international cooperation, which he championed throughout his life.
His personal papers comprise his private archives and the archives of the institutions he created, such as the International Bibliography Office (IBO) and the Union of International Associations (UIA). They contain numerous sources relating to the history of bibliography, information sciences, and international intellectual cooperation. They were added to by the archives of his successors, Georges Lorphèvre (1912-1997) and André Colet (1896-1978). As close collaborators of Otlet, they were the linchpins of the Mundaneum after his death, and continued his work through the Association of Friends of the World Palace.
Henri La Fontaine’s personal papers (1854-1943)
Henri La Fontaine came from a wealthy family which, on his mother’s side, was connected to the famous Philips company. A lawyer specialising in international law, he was a leading light in the pacifist movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. La Fontaine believed that international law was key to lasting world peace. He also believed that this implied a more egalitarian and more democratic society. He championed his ideas as a pacifist (notably as President of the International Peace Bureau), but also as a socialist senator, feminist, Freemason and bibliographer. His work earned this keen mountaineer and music lover the Nobel Peace Prize in 1913.
La Fontaine’s personal papers are an invaluable resource for the history of Belgian and international pacifism, and they contain many precious documents related to feminism and socialism.
