KADOC – Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society

KADOC is the Interfaculty Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society at KU Leuven, established in 1976. It serves as one of Belgium's leading cultural heritage institutions and an international center for studying the interaction between religion, culture, and society.

KADOC is significant in Religious Studies for its interdisciplinary research on the historical and contemporary interactions between religion, culture, and society, providing valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of religious phenomena.

 

KADOC Collections

The KADOC Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society preserves hundreds of archives from Christian workers and employers organisations, from educational organizations and youth movements, and from religious orders and congregations.

KADOC heritage collections contain 34,5 current kilometers of archival units, 300.000 books, and 16.500 periodicals. These KADOC collections have an important European and even global dimension: they document interactions between Europe and the Americas, Asia and Africa that have shaped the world we live in. The collection contains archives of agricultural organizations, political parties and politicians, NGOs, (action) committees, noble families, priests, sisters, architects and artists and much more. Discover our extensive collection here.

 

KADOC Database ODIS

In addition to our physical and virtual collections, visiting KADOC also provides you with access to ODIS, the KADOC dynamic and contextual database. It offers instruments for innovative, multidisciplinary and comparative research into the history civil society, furthering cross-fertilization between scholarly researchers and the custodians of the relevant cultural heritage collections. The ODIS database comprises data on:

  • Organisations or intermediary structures
  • Persons and families who were active in civil society
  • Events and buildings related to their history
  • Periodicals and archives by and about these entities

 

Research and Expertise

KADOC encourages international research in its collections by organising international conferences, building networks with European universities and partner institutions, publishing innovative studies and hosting junior and top researchers from around the world.

 

Please note that in order to access the KADOC archives you need to apply for a separate TNA stay.

 

KADOC Website

 

Photo by Daniel Brison.

 

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