Max Nettlau

Max Nettlau, born on April 30, 1865, was a prominent German anarchist, linguist, historian, biographer, philologist, and journalist. His intellectual pursuits led him to amass an extensive collection of archives that would later become invaluable to the study of anarchism and social history.

In 1935, Nettlau sold his remarkable collection to the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, marking a significant contribution to the preservation of historical documents. Following this pivotal moment, he relocated to Amsterdam in 1938, where he dedicated himself to cataloging the archives for the Institute, ensuring that future generations would have access to this wealth of knowledge.

Despite the tumultuous times surrounding him, Nettlau lived a relatively quiet life in Amsterdam until his untimely death in 1944. He passed away suddenly from stomach cancer, leaving behind a legacy of scholarship and activism that would influence many in the fields of history and anarchism.