Ben-Gurion Archive Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

History and Founding

The Ben-Gurion Archive was founded in the 1970s as part of the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, following the death of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, in 1973. It was formally established upon the Knesset's passage of the David Ben-Gurion Law in 1976. The archive is located at the Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism on the Sde Boker campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), near Ben-Gurion's desert home. It is jointly operated by the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute and the Ben-Gurion Research Institute. The archive operates as a southern branch of the Israel State Archives and was among the earliest archives worldwide to pioneer systematic digitization, beginning in the 1980s.

Collections and Holdings

The archive holds more than 5 million items documenting the history of Eretz Israel from approximately 1900 to 1973. At its core is David Ben-Gurion's private archive, including over 20,000 pages of personal diaries spanning nearly 70 years, as well as letters, speeches, meeting protocols, and memoranda. The archive also holds records of central Zionist organizations including the Jewish Agency, the Zionist Executive Council, Mapai (Israel Workers' Party), the Histadrut, and the Knesset. Additional significant collections include the personal archive of Israel's 5th President Yitzhak Navon, the Shabtai Teveth research collection (over 2,000 files), and materials relating to American Zionist organizations. A rich audiovisual collection of documentary films and personal interviews has been digitized and indexed.

Notable Holdings

Ben-Gurion's complete diaries are fully searchable online. The archive holds copies of British Public Record Office and US National Archives documents relating to Israel's diplomatic history, as well as records documenting Israel-Poland, Israel-USSR, and Israel-France relations.

Access and Usage

The archive is open to researchers and students internationally. A new building includes a 280-square-meter exhibition hall open to the public, where visitors may examine archival materials directly. The digitized collection is searchable online through the Ben-Gurion Archive website. The archive also operates a community archives project extending digital archiving to Negev communities including Yeruham, Mitzpe Ramon, Hura, and Ofakim.