The Karl Polanyi Archive

The centerpiece of the Institute is the Karl Polanyi Archive. The collection, an important contribution to the historical legacy of the social sciences and humanities, includes published and unpublished material in Hungarian, German, and English, dating back to 1919, as well as Polanyi's lifetime correspondence with important European intellectuals and political figures.

The archival fonds correspond to three periods in the life of Karl Polanyi: time spent in Vienna and Hungary from 1886 to 1933; time spent in England from 1934 to 1946; and time spent in North America from 1947 to 1964.

The Institute is firmly committed to open access to the archive, and over the years has welcomed scholars, researchers, and students from around the world.

Contact us to book your visit.

The archive has been digitized and is searchable and viewable in the Karl Polanyi Digital Archive.

Access the Digital Archive

• Visit the digital archive.
  
• To access archival material, enter container and file number using this format: Con_XX_Fol_XX. (i.e. to access file 8-1, enter CON_08_Fol_01) and click Go.
• Click on the title of the file.
• Click on View/Open. When viewing a document, make sure to use the INNER scroll bar and not the outer scroll bar.