Archival material: Granting access
In Lower Saxony, you can evaluate archival material in the relevant archive for scientific purposes, for local history issues, for researching your own family or for clarifying legal issues. You can find out which archival material is meaningful for your question by using the appropriate finding aids that the respective archive has available either on the Internet or on site. The use of the archives is possible for any person who has a legitimate interest in inspecting archival materials.
Who should I contact?
The responsibility lies with the respective archive.
In Lower Saxony, in addition to the Lower Saxony State Archives in Hanover with further locations in Aurich, Bückeburg, Oldenburg, Osnabrück, Stade and Wolfenbüttel, there are also district, municipal and city archives. The Lower Saxony state parliament, the universities, the regional churches and various economic sectors also maintain their own archives.
An overview of the various archives and their respective responsibilities in detail can be found in the Lower Saxony Archive Information System.
Which documents are required?
- Identity card, if applicable
What are the fees?
Fees may apply, please contact the competent authority.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
It is recommended that you register in advance to visit the archive. In the case of unregistered visits to the archive, longer waiting times or repeated journeys may have to be accepted.
Legal basis
Usage and cost statutes of the respective archive
Law on the Protection and Use of Archival Material in Lower Saxony (NArchG)
What else should I know?
Increasingly, archives offer the possibility of providing access to your holdings online. Many of the archives represented in the Lower Saxony Archive Information System (Arcinsys) make their electronically recorded indexing data available in Arcinsys. In addition, you have the option of ordering the archival materials determined online for use after registration via Arcinsys for inspection. Please note that the requested documents can only be viewed in the archive that holds them.
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony State Archives
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
