The archives of the Federal Union and Federal Trust for Education and Research have now been catalogued and are available for consultation through the Archives Catalogue|. The archives contain a wealth of material concerning post-world war two Europe and Britain's place within it. The collection is therefore invaluable to the study of the history of Europe and international relations.
In 1938 the Federal Union was founded to advance the cause of federal government among democratic states, in order to achieve international peace, economic stability and civil rights. It flourished throughout the war years and during the 1950s and 1960s, it became involved in various political debates including the reconstruction of Europe, European integration and British entry into the European Economic Community. The Federal Union continues to campaign for federalism for the UK, Europe and the world.
The Federal Trust for Education and Research was established in 1945 to encourage the study of international relations and co-operation and further research into federal principles and institutions. It has continued to study the interaction between regional, national, European and global levels of government. The Trust has always maintained a particular interest in the European Union. But more recent studies have concerned global governance, devolution and regional government in the United Kingdom.
The archives include a range of both Federal Union and Federal Trust material including correspondence, papers and print. The archives relate broadly to internal administration and management, activities, research and external relations, 1931-2004.
The Federal Union and Federal Trust papers were catalogued as part of the Foyle Foundation Project. Other archives recently catalogued include the papers of Baron Redcliffe-Maud|. For more information concerning the project see Projects| or contact us: Contact details|