The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies

The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies is the largest archival repository of LGBTQ history in the Midwest.

Welcome

The Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies is home to over 500 collections of queer and trans archival materials accessible to the public.

We are open to community members and organizations as well as undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff from any college or university to use on site at the Andersen Library.

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Search collections

Collection guides
Collection guides, or finding aids, help you navigate materials in the Tretter Collection, describing what is in each box to support your research.
Digital collections
Search for digitized images, documents, oral histories, and other a/v media.
Libraries catalog
Search for cataloged LGBTQ books, journals, and periodicals (newspapers and magazines).

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About the collection

The Tretter Collection holds approximately 3,500 linear feet of material—including books, periodicals, personal and organizational records, zines and pamphlets, artifacts and ephemera, and audiovisual materials.

The collection is national and international in scope (featuring materials in approximately 60 languages), but is especially strong in materials documenting the history of LGBTQ people, organizations, and communities in the Midwest, Minnesota, and especially the Twin Cities area.

The Tretter also serves as a hub for queer and trans engagement and use of the collection, we co-host the Midwest Queer and Trans Zine Fest each October and host panel discussions, community conversations, exhibits, zine workshops, and other events designed to support critical inquiry into LGBTQ pasts.

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Visit

Hours
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Note: Appointments are required to visit the reading room within these hours.
More Andersen Library hours

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Explore the Tretter Collection

Collection highlights

Detailed information about areas of strength within the Tretter Collection, and access to an array of way-finding tools.

Publications

Links to back issues of our newsletter (the "Tretter Letter"), press about the Tretter, and scholarly and creative publications that rely on materials from our collections.

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Give to the collection

The Tretter Collection would not exist without contributions from many individuals, organizations, and collectives. There are many ways to contribute! Learn more about donating materials for inclusion in our collections, participate in oral history projects, attend events, volunteer, or make a financial gift to support the long term sustainability of our work. 

Give to the collection

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