ISOH at the doors of the Villa Centenaire which houses the OSC collections
Reminder of Olympic History Treasure Trove in Lausanne for ISOH
by Philip Barker
The Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) in Lausanne has just received the “Sports Organisation Award” from the 2026 European Association for Sports Management (EASM) “for its contribution to academic research and for strengthening ties between academia and the Olympic Movement.”
It was therefore, a fitting time for the ISOH General Assembly in Lausanne to be given a chance to discover the rich seam of Olympic information available to historians at the OSC.
“We really respect the work you are doing and you know that the OSC is here to support you.”delegates were told by OSC Head Maria Bogner as she welcomed guests to the centre.
There was a rare glimpse of the collection behind the scenes.
In the documentation centre the newest items include a congratulatory telegram sent by Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy to the United States Olympic team at the 1960 Rome Olympics. JFK was elected US President only two months later.
Last year some 1,500 visited the OSC in person but the online Olympic World Library recorded more than 5 million visits. It boasts 42,000 titles, many of which may also be accessed online including all the Olympic Charters.
A vast digitisation programme has already made some 17,500 digital documents available.
A Games Collection page has also been launched. THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES which can be found at Olympic World Library https://share.google/BQYlAuXYB6fJkNSBY
Meanwhile the vast store of artefacts includes examples of Olympic Torches, uniforms, posters and even the hurdles used at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
Other items including a wall display with a medal, certificate and ribbon from the 1896 Games in Athens and a range of certificates.
Since 1984, the museum team have attended every Games where Olympians have donated items of equipment, uniforms etc to the collection.
Items are displayed in the Olympic museum on rotation as the collection is too large to show everything at once.
In addition to our website, you can also find information on Olympic history, personalities and stories on our social media platforms facebook, twitter and instagram @ISOHOlympic and Via Linked at LinkedIn: isoh.org/linkedin
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