About the Archives
An agency of the Ministry for Information and Science, the Archives of the Realm preserve our nation's history. The Archives also oversee the management of official records of state.
Enshrined in the Archives for posterity are the cornerstone documents of our state. These include the Basic Law as well as the Bill of Rights and other documents of freedom from the former Federal Republic of Civitas era.
But the Archives are more than just famous documents. The Archives provide for ordinary citizens to inspect for themselves the records of state. The Archives permit government officials to review their actions and fosters accountability for those actions. The Archives ensures continuing access to essential evidence that documents the rights of citizens, the actions of government officials, and the national experience.
The Records
Holdings in the Archives of the Realm reflect our nation's great history and development over 200 years. The records are great in number, diverse in character, and rich in information. They include over:
- 2 billion pieces of paper
- 30,000 motion picture films
- 2.5 million maps and charts
- 100,000 sound recordings
- 1 million aerial photographs
- 15 million still pictures
- 2 billion electronic records
Public Access
The Archives work to make its extensive collection available to a wide spectrum of citizens. From historians to historians to lawyers, journalists to veterans, and officials to students, records in the Archives hold the answers.
Thousands of people call, write, and visit the Archives every week.
