On the Archive

Next to the ”Old Kitchen” on the Plateau in Brazzaville are the ”Mission Archives”. It contains all the archived documents of the Missionary Office.

Decades of vouchers, bank statements and old receipts. There are also the minutes of the joint Congo-Conferences. Not all, but a fairly complete set from 1937 to 1962. There are copies of letters between the Colonial Power and the Mission and between the young State of the Congo and the Mission. Including a small document in which the ”new” president Fulbert YOULOU wants to expel all Swedes because Sweden has UN troops in Katanga. You can also read what happened… 

During the months of November and December 2022, the ARCHIVE will undergo a renovation. It has been repainted, the shelves are cleaned and washed. The mouse skeletons were removed. The electrical network has been renovated, so that you can now settle there with a computer and a printer. A kettle and 4 mugs have been purchased so you can ”FIKA”. Many Congolese love FIKA. In these ”physical archives” are the 18 mission journals that form the starting point of the Journal Project, which aims to make as much Swedish material as possible available in French and then probably in English. The target audience is researchers and laymen interested in the history and history of missions, in several countries.

Currently (2022) there is a small editorial board composed of myself, Teol. Dr. Carl Sundberg, Teol Dr. Bertil Åhman and Professor Josué Ndamba (linguist in Brazzaville).With the help of a number of volunteer editors, the material is digitized, translated and published as PDF files on the archives website. The first 18 digitized copies were produced by Guelor MAFOUTO, then a master’s student. These documents serve as a basis for working in Congo. 

Others are welcome! It is a question of transcribing = digitizing, the Swedish text. Contact Carl Sundberg.

But in Sweden, the real heroes are the writers. They are:
Bibbie Johansson Ydrefors
Margit Gustavsson
Carl Sundberg
Kristina Lindström Stenström
Margareta Andermo
Lars Fredman
Ronny Eryd
Bertil Åhman
Laila Gustafsson
Ingegerd Rahm
Inga-Britt Mollmyr
Per Bergström
Per Fingalsson
Lena Tynnemark
Åsa Strandberg
Åke Johansson
Hjalmar Messing
Helen Carlgren
Ola Olsson

Others are welcome! It is a question of transcribing = digitizing, the Swedish text. Contact Carl Sundberg.