State archives; applying for the use of archive records

The archive records held in the state archives may be used on request.

The State Archives of Bavaria are responsible for the proper storage of archival records dating back to the 8th century and for making them accessible, analyzing and usable for the purposes of scientific research, state jurisdiction and administration as well as the promotion of local history and popular education.

Archive records are documents such as deeds, files, maps, images and other data carriers, including the tools for their use. Archival material can be used for official, scientific, local history, family history, legal, educational or journalistic purposes as well as for legitimate personal interests. As a rule, use is made by personal inspection of finding aids, archive material and reproductions on the premises of the state archives. Some finding aids and digital copies of archive records are available online for research (online finding aids and online digital copies on the homepage of the Bavarian State Archives, see "Further links").

The archives can also facilitate use by answering written and verbal inquiries. The information provided here may be limited to references to relevant archive material. Archive records may only be sent for use outside the archive holding them in justified exceptional cases, in particular if the archive records are required for official purposes by public authorities or for exhibition purposes.

Archival material is excluded from use as long as it is subject to a protection period and the protection period has not been shortened. For reasons of data protection and in order to protect the interests of third parties, the permission to use may be subject to conditions. Printed works or reproductions may be submitted instead of the originals.

Within the scope of archive use, analog or digital reproductions of the archive material may be produced by the archives or a commissioned service provider and purchased by the user. The publication, dissemination or duplication of these reproductions is permitted with the prior consent of the archive in custody.

• Application for admission to use the archives

  Information about the person of the user and his research project

• Identity card

The archive material stored in the state archives is available for use by authorities, courts and other public bodies, as well as natural and legal persons. Minors (e.g. schoolchildren) may also be admitted for use if the consent of their legal representative has been obtained.

It is recommended to register a visit to the archive in writing or verbally in advance and to read the relevant specialist literature. The archive staff will introduce visitors to the work of the archive and advise them on searching for and ordering documents. The researcher alone is responsible for examining and evaluating the documents and must acquire specialist knowledge, e.g. for reading older documents.

For the use of the state archives, fees are charged for the time spent by archive staff (half-hourly rates) in accordance with the archive usage regulations. Demonstrably scientific, local history, family history and educational purposes are exempt from the charging of time fees.

Fees for the production of reproductions (digital recordings, paper copies, films, seals) are charged at the usual local rates.

In addition, fees are charged for permission to publish or duplicate reproductions from the holdings of the State Archives if a certain number of copies is exceeded.

The list of fees charged by the Bavarian State Archives can be found under "Further links".