Unilever is one of the world's largest consumer goods companies and one of the oldest multinational corporations. It was formally established in 1930 when the British Lever Brothers merged with the Dutch Margarine Unie. Today, Unilever encompasses more than 400 brands worldwide, including Dove, Axe, Lipton, and Knorr.

Unilever's corporate archives, which have received several national awards, primarily serve the company's needs in marketing and product development, but are also open for booked visits. Among the available materials are minutes, financial and legal documentation, photos and films, and all the major brands and their predecessors are represented. Through these sources, one can follow Unilever's development.

The oldest archival document is an original document from 1294 (!) concerning a piece of land in Norwich, England, which the Colman family (Colman’s is a British mustard brand owned by Unilever) is believed to have acquired due to their interest in the area.

In a video marking the archive's 30th anniversary, Unilever's CEO Paul Polman quotes the author and poet Robert Penn Warren:

History cannot give us a programme for our future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves and our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.

Swedish Unilever has its archive at the Centre for Business History, from which we have created a historical site, unileverhistoria.se, where one can read about various brands and products connected to the company.