In May 2011, UNESCO has inscribed the archives of the Middelburgse Commercie Compagnie (MCC) on the world heritage list for documentary works, the Memory of the World Register.
Memory of the World
Objectives of UNESCO include the preservation and the opening up of documentary heritage. The programme Memory of the World exists for this purpose. The best-known part of this programme is the Memory of the World Register. This register contains documentary heritage of exceptional value to the world. The Memory of the world programme aims at sustainable access to documentary heritage.
The documents from the archives of the MCC provide a detailed picture of the slave trade. The detailed information in addition to the completeness and good condition of the archives resulted in the inscription of the archives in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Since May 2011 the archives of the MCC are listed as international documentary heritage.
