CISH > Presentation > Objectives

  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.

  Every year, the ICHS publishes a 200-page information bulletin, which is largely distributed to organization members. This bulletin includes, in addition to members of the Board and statutes, internal news (minutes from General Assemblies and Board meetings), a directory of ICHS member organizations, a list of projects in progress (in particular the anticipated themes and state of preparation of the Congress) and scientific contributions - either on the history of the ICHS or in the form of papers by young researchers.

  The major occupation of the ICHS is the Congress, held every five years, which brings together between 2,000 and 3,000 historians from around the world. This Congress provides an ideal environment for far-reaching reports, papers, debates, exchanges and meetings reflecting historical research in action. In recent years the Congress has been held in San Francisco (1975), Bucharest (1980), Stuttgart (1985), Madrid (1990), Montreal (1995), Oslo (2000) and Sydney (2005). Other, smaller meetings have also taken place.

  More and more, the ICHS is working to ‘de-Europeanize’ itself in order to become a truly global organization and to institute a permanent dialogue between fields of knowledge and different cultures.