The House Museum shelters a classic collection covering great works from all fields of knowledge. The library comprises a total of 3.600 volumes from different categories. Among them: books, reports, photographic albums, letters, press clippings, and speeches.

Books account for 90% of the entire collection. The oldest publication is a copy of “El Quijote de la Mancha” (“Don Quixote of La Mancha”) published in 1604. Then, “La Araucana”, “Libro Áureo del Emperador Marco Aurelio” (“The Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius”), “Historia de Chile” by Ignacio Molina, and “Plato’s Dialogues” – all of them printed in the XVIII century.

Nearly a 10% of the books either bear a dedication written by their authors or stand as presents given by distinguished people of those times to the president. Among them stand out: Monsignor Carlos Casanueva, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Alejandro Lanusse, Louis J. Lebret, Eugene McCarthy, Jaques Maritain, Roger Miranda, Carlos Morla Lynch, Pablo Neruda, Giovanni Papini, Georges Pompidou and Juan XXIII.

As for biographies, there can be found the great conquerors of history, emperors and kings of the ancient and modern age, and the figures related to Fine Art in each époque – especially those from the Renaissance.

Regarding Hispanic and Latin America, biographies of different people stand out, among them: those who fought for independence, politicians and ancient and contemporary thinkers that heavily influenced the union, independence, and development of these peoples. Lives of saints and prophets, as well as of reformers and dictators can also be found.

Reports mostly account for studies in politics related to the military government, democratization, and preliminary or complementary information on the meetings of Brandt Commission, which Eduardo Frei Montalva was a member of, up to his death.

Download “Biblioteca personal del ex mandatario” (.pdf)

Carlos Ibañez del Campo was elected President. Later, he would request Frei to organize an executive committee. However, this never came to be. In 1954, the UN appointed him President of the Commission in charge of elaborating the report of the Conference of Chancellors held in Rio de Janeiro. Some of its members were: Carlos Lleras Restrepo, former President of Colombia, and Raúl Prenisch director of ECLAC. The report served as a basis for subsequent studies on economic development and the integration of Latin America.

In 1956 he was elected Senator in Santiago by first majority.

On July 27th, 1957, the Falange Nacional becomes the Democratic Christian Party. Eduardo Frei Montalva was offered the candidacy for president of the Republic in the 1958 elections. Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez was elected president while Eduardo Frei Montalva took third place.

During these years he published three more books: “Sentido y Forma de una Política” (“Meaning and Shape of Politics”), “La Verdad Tiene Su Hora” (“Truth Has Its Time”), y “Pensamiento y Acción” (“Thought and Action”).

In 1960, he lectured at conference “The Mission of Universities in Latin America” in Montevideo; a widely promoted conference at that time.

In 1961, he was elected President of the First World Christian Democratic Party Congress, held in Santiago, Chile. The congress was attended by delegations from throughout Latin America, European, North American, and African countries.

That year he was invited as special guest to a seminar on the problems of Developing Nations, held at Oxford University. The seminar was attended by delegates from all over the world.

Between 1960 and 1962, he lectured at Columbia University on problems in Latin America. In 1962, he gave a conference at Notre Dame University on the development and the integration of Latin American countries.

On September 4th, 1964, having one of the highest turnouts in Chilean history, Eduardo Frei Montalva was elected President of the Republic of Chile. He then, took office on November 4th of the same year.

In 1965, he started a presidential tour through France, the United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy and the Vatican. During this time, he also visited countries in Latin America such as: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela; places where he delivered important speeches on international issues.

On his return, he initiated important plans involving housing, education, reforestation, land reform, health, and the nationalization of copper. The Comisión Nacional de Cultura (National Culture Comission), the Consejería Nacional de la Promoción Popular and the Juntas de Vecinos (“Neighborhood Committees”) were created.

1966 is the year of the Andean Group, officially created through its Declaration, signed in January 1965. However, the group culminated with the famous speech delivered by Eduardo Frei Montalva in Plaza Bolívar, Bogota. The same year the pacts on Chilean copper are signed.

In January, 1967 the National Congress refused his constitutional permission to travel to the United States where he has been invited by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In April, he participates in the Meeting of Presidents from American countries, carried out in Montevideo, Uruguay.

In 1970, he was awarded with the Doctor Honoris Causa title by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

On November 4th, he left office, handing over the Presidency to Salvador Allende Gossens.

In 1971, he gave conferences at universities in Dayton, Ohio, Boston, and the Council of the Americas in New York.

In the 1973 parlamentary elections he was elected Senator for Santiago by a first majority. He was also appointed as President of the Senate.

He published a new book entitled “Un Mundo Nuevo” (“A New World”)

On September 11th, 1973, after the coup d’etát, the Armed Forces rose to power; President Salvador Allende commited suicide. The Parliament was disolved and the political parties were left in recession.

Between 1973 and 1977, Eduardo Frei Montalva was invited to different countries and participated in conferences, such as: The Altlantic Conference in 1976.

In 1975 he published his book “El Mandato de la Historia y las Exigencias del Porvenir” (“The Mandate of History and Demands of the Future“), and in 1977 his quintiessential book “América Latina: Opción y Esperanza” (“Latin America: Option and Hope”) which has been translated into several languages.

In the period between 1977 and 1982, he was invited to participate in the Brandt Comission, led by Willy Brandt. As a member, he attended meetings held in Germany, Switzerland, Mali, United States, Malasia, France, Austria, Belgium, and Great Britain. As a Brandt Commission delegate he engaged with important executives from IDB, OAS, and ECLAC.

In 1980, he participated in the Meeting of Former Democrat Presidents of Latin America held in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1981, he was invited to the Club of Rome International Conference on the “Alternatives for Humanity: Latin America Mission” also held in Caracas. His last book “El Mensaje Humanista” (“The Humanist Message”) was published.

On January 22nd, 1982, Eduardo Frei Montalva dies in Santiago, six days after turning 71.

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In Chile, traditional teaching of political history is mainly supported by textbooks, in which the human and family side of protagonists and leaders is relegated to a secondary role.

Thus, a House Museum set with the original belongings of such an important former Head of State as Eduardo Frei Montalva, will serve as a promotional didactic resource and make use of this patrimony as an inspirational source for education. Likewise, our Museum will expand, complement and/or supplement the approaches of historiography.

Our House Museum imparts a program with educational activities, and enlightens the republican tradition of our country as our visitors get to know a family with a high sense of public service, thus connecting the contents of the museum with the academic interests of teachers and students.

The design of this program places it as a reliable support for the teaching-learning process on subjects referred to the history of our country; an historical period that held remarkable events surrounding the social and economical development of the republican and democratic history of Chile.

This educational program is based on ten main subjects, covered through guided tours and gone over differently depending on the nature of our visitors. The main subjects are: diversity, civil rights and the democratic system, daily life during the 1960s; cultural heritage and national identity; Latin America and the world; the Christian Democracy and “Social Christianism”; political history of Chile; economic diversity; social justice and revolution in liberty, political governing and the administrative division of territory.

These subject matter lines are a result of the study and alignment of the Transversal Fundamental Objectives (OFT), Vertical Fundamental Objectives (OFV) and Minimum Mandatory Contents (CMO) from fifth grade to fourth year of High School.

In order to comply with this program, our Museum is provided with a qualified guiding team specialized in History, and is supported by information technologies. Thus, visitors and students are able to tour and experience this house in an inviting and didactic way.

The museum collection includes: furniture, art works, photographs, original decoration objects, personal belongings of former President Eduardo Frei Montalva and his family, books from his personal library, diplomas, documents and titles.

This out of classroom experience will, without a doubt, enrich the learning of recent Chilean history. Furthermore, this patrimonial property enables visitors to learn through different strategies: through the senses (based on perception); logically (by means of concepts), and intuitively, through values.

The Museum looks to outline the spiritual, human and affective dimension of the figure of Eduardo Frei Montalva. Although, he stood out for the extraordinary quality of his public service – the source of his stature as an intellectual and statesman -, such performance would have been impossible if not based on principles and values born out of his religious view and his profound concern on thought and knowledge matters.

Undoubtedly, the source of these qualities is related to the solid and austere familiar context surrounding his childhood and youth. Eduardo Frei belonged to a family with strong moral principles; values wich possibly became determining factors for his subsequent successful career and, certainly, the behavior model through which he educated and formed his family with the support of his wife.