View archival material

The public archives in Hesse preserve original documents from more than 1200 years of Hessian, German and European history, including numerous documents of contemporary history. They are open to the general public for scientific and private research.

The public archives in Hesse preserve original documents from more than 1200 years of Hessian, German and European history, including numerous documents of contemporary history. They are open to the general public for scientific and private research.

In order to prepare an inquiry to the archive or a visit, it is recommended to find out about the responsibility and the collection profile of the respective archive. Many archives have now made their finding aids available online. If the one used

If the archive software offers corresponding functionalities, you can pre-order the archival materials for inspection in the reading room of the archive holding them and use holdings that have already been digitised online. The three departments of the Hessian State Archives, numerous municipal and university archives and some private archives use the archive information system Arcinsys, which includes various search options as well as an order and a watch list function.

As a rule, the archival material of the public archives must be consulted in the reading room of the archive being stored. In most archives, you can commission the in-house or an external photo workshop to take pictures, make photocopies yourself or take digital photos yourself, provided that there are no legal or conservation reasons to the contrary.

Enquiries to the archives can be sent by e-mail, post or telephone.

The Hessian State Archives consist of four departments: the Hessian State Archives in Darmstadt, the Hessian State Archives in Marburg (with the Land Registry Archive, Civil Status Archive), the Hessian Main State Archive in Wiesbaden and the Department of Central Institutions, which also includes the Digital Archive of Hesse and the Archive Consultancy in Hesse. Another branch is the Archive of the German Youth Movement, which is run in cooperation with the Jugendburg Ludwigstein.

The Hessian State Archives preserve the records of the predecessor territories in the territory of today's federal state of Hesse, including those of the Landgraviate or the Electorate of Hesse, the Principality of Waldeck, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, the People's State of Hesse and the Duchy of Nassau, as well as those of the secular and ecclesiastical dominions and imperial cities that were absorbed into these territories.

In addition, the Hessian State Archives are responsible for the modern records of the Hessian ministries, state authorities, courts and state institutions as well as the regional councils of Kassel, Giessen and Darmstadt and subordinate departments. A special tradition is formed by the documents on denazification proceedings and compensation, which are kept centrally in the Hessian Main State Archive in Wiesbaden, as well as the land register and civil status archives in Neustadt (Marburg).

Note: The "View archival material" service must be registered with the archive to be stored.

In the Hessian State Archives:

• Hessian State Archives – Dept. Hessian State Archives Darmstadt
• Hessian State Archives – Dept. Hessian State Archives Marburg
• Hessian State Archives – Dept. Hessian Main State Archive Wiesbaden

For the application for use and the inspection of archival material, the regulations in the archive statutes or the rules of use of the archive holding archive apply. They regulate whether and in what form proofs, certificates or other documents must be provided.

No proofs, certificates or other documents from the user are required for registration in the Arcinsys online archive information system, filling out a usage form or submitting an application for use and inspecting archival material.

If necessary, the presentation of the identity card is required in the reading room.

Forms available: Yes (analogue, fillable PDF file or online; depending on the archive being stored)

Written form required: No

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: In some archives, the application for use or order form can only be filled out on site, others offer the forms on their homepage for download. It is not necessary to appear in person to register in the Arcinsys archive information system, to register or apply for use and to order archival material. Inspection of analogue archive material is only possible on site.

The requirements for inspecting archival material are laid down in the archive statutes or regulations of use of the archive that holds it.

In the online archive information system Arcinsys, which is used by the Hessian State Archives and numerous other archives in Hesse, there are no legal requirements for registration and filling out a usage form or submitting an application for use.

Other regulations such as archive statutes and regulations for use

Objection (in case of refusal of the request for inspection)

The procedure depends on the archive being stored. In most archives, a valid usage request or form is required for use. You can find out how to submit the application for use or fill out the use form from the archive in which it is stored.

If the archive uses the Arcinsys archive information system and the user management implemented in it, proceed in the following way:

• Register on arcinsys.hessen.de and fill out a form for the use of the archive under "Request", which holds the archival material to be used.
• In Arcinsys, order the archival material you would like to use and indicate your earliest date of visit.
• The archival material will be available for inspection in the reading room on the date indicated.

In many archives, you can order additional archival materials during your visit to the reading room. In the Hessian State Archives, orders are dug up three times a day at fixed times.

There are no legal deadlines to be able to claim the service.

• The processing time of the approval of the application for use and the provision of the archival material depends on the archive being stored and the archive software used.
• Registration in Arcinsys and the completed usage form are valid immediately.
• In the Hessian State Archives, orders outside the archive are usually processed for the next working day.
• Orders in the reading rooms of the Hessian State Archives are processed at fixed times

Fees for the use of the archival material (inspection in the reading room) are set out in the municipal fee statute or in the rules of use of the archive that holds it. In the Hessian State Archives, inspection is free of charge.

Most archives offer information on performance on their own homepage or a subpage of the website of the municipality, institution or university.

The Hessian State Archives have published the following information about its services:

The Hessian Archives Act applies to all public archives in the state of Hesse. The individual archives have their own archive statutes, usage and cost regulations, as well as individual opening hours and ordering modalities, and use different archive information systems or indexing aids.

Numerous municipal and university archives as well as some private archives use the archive information system Arcinsys, which is operated and provided by the Hessian State Archives.

The Hessian State Archives are neither officially nor professionally superior to the other public archives in Hesse.