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Netherlands Archives and Libraries

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Netherlands Topics
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Beginning Research
Record Types
The Netherlands Background
Local Research Resources
Moderator

The FamilySearch moderator for The Netherlands is Daniel Jones.

Online Sources

Archives around the Netherlands have contributed indexes which cover many record sources, such as civil registration, church records, emigration lists, military registers, and land and tax records. These records cover events like birth, marriage, death, and burial. These indexes were originally collected, combined and published by OpenArchives. For the entire index collection and more information visit www.openarch.nl.
Archives around the Netherlands have contributed indexes which cover many record sources, such as civil registration, church records, emigration lists, military registers, and land and tax records. This collection will cover population registration. These indexes were originally collected, combined and published by OpenArchives. For the entire index collection and more information visit www.openarch.nl.

Introduction

  • Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm.
  • If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one.
  • Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the Family History Library may have microfilmed and/or digitized copies of them.


In the Netherlands there are five major types of genealogical repositories:

  • State (national and provincial) archives.
  • Regional and municipal archives.
  • Royal and Nobility archives
  • Church archives.
  • Church parish offices.
  • Historical and genealogical societies.

Archives

What can I find at the National Archives and what can I find elsewhere?

  • In the National Archives, you will find the archives of the national government, such as the archives of the ministries and of the Senate and House of Representatives. In addition, the National Archives stores archives that are important to the history of the Netherlands, such as the archives of the VOC and the WIC, but also the archive of the KNVB.
  • Furthermore, the National Archives is the regional archive of the province of South Holland. For example, the court archives of South Holland are located here.
  • Each province in the Netherlands has its own provincial archive: the Regional Historical Centers (RHCs). Here are the archives that are important at a regional level. Think of the archives of the province, the court archives and the archives of the Chamber of Commerce.
  • For local history, you can go to the city and regional archives. Think of the Amsterdam city archive and the Eemland archive. Here, for example, are the archives of the municipal authorities, the notarial archives and the archives of important families from the city or region.[1]

Nationaal Archief (National Archive)

The address of the National Archive (Nationaal Archief) is:
Nationaal Archief
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 20
2595 BE 's-Gravenhage
The Netherlands
Mailing Address:

Postbus 90520
2509 LM ’s-Gravenhage
The Netherlands

Telephone: 070-331-5400 (general information)
070-331-5444 (information concerning the holdings)
Fax: 070-331 5499
E-mail: info@nationaalarchief.nl
Website
Search Aids

Regional and Municipal Archives

  • The provincial archives are located in the capital of each of the 12 provinces.
  • Municipal archives exist for most large towns. They contain the same type of genealogical records found in the state archives.
  • The Family History Library has microfilmed many records from these archives.
  • Each archive collects records from its respective province. Records of genealogical value at these archives include:
  • Church records.
  • Civil registrations.
  • Population registers.
  • Censuses.
  • Court records.
  • Military records.
  • Emigration lists.
  • Notarial records.
  • Land records.
  • Tax records.

These links lead to a Wiki article for each provincial archive. Addresses, information on available index, and links to digitized records are explained.

  • Drenthe
  • Flevoland
  • Fryslân or Friesland
  • Gelderland
    		•
  • Groningen
  • Limburg
  • Noord-Brabant (North Brabant)
  • Noord-Holland (North Holland)
    		•
  • Overijssel
  • Utrecht
  • Zeeland
  • Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

    • Royal and Nobility Archives

    Koninklijk Huisarchief
    Address: Paleis Noordeinde, Den Haag (Via Paleistuin, Prinsessewal)
    Postal address: Postbus 30412, 2500 GK Den Haag
    tel.: (070)362-47-01 (070)362-47-01
    fax.: (070)365-93-48
    e-mail: koninklijk.huisarchief@dkh.nl
    Opening hours: Monday - Friday by telephone appointment
    Closed regular holidays as well as 31 January
    How to get there:
    From train station HS: tram 8 or bus 5, train station CS: tram 7 or bus 4 (stop Mauritskade)
    Services provided:
    In the Royal House Archive are the personal records found of the members of the House of Nassau and Orange Nassau from the 13th century till the present.

    Hoge Raad van Adel
    Address: Nassaulaan 2-B, 2514 JS Den Haag
    Postal address: Postbus 16325, 2500 BH Den Haag
    tel.: (070)361-42-81 (070)361-42-81
    fax.: (070)363-17-12
    e-mail: info@hogeraadvanadel.nl
    Web-site: Court of Nobility
    Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9.30 - 16.30 uur
    Services provided:
    Advising of the Crown concerning nobility issues, gevornment heraldry, some name changes and military emblems; advising of lower public judicial bodies concerning flags; advising of corporations and privat persons concerning genealogy and heraldry.

    Church Archives

    There are archives for all of the major churches of the country. The largest are discussed below.

    Roman Catholic Church. One of the largest archives of the Roman Catholic church are found in the Radboud Universiteit in Nijmegen, Gelderland, Nederland. The web-site for this Katholiek Documentatie Centrum (Catholic Documentation Center) archive is: Documentatie Centrum (KDC)

    Archives exist for each of the dioceses of:

    Dutch Reformed Church.

    Web-site for the Protestant Churches in the Netherlands Protestantse Kerk in Nederland

    The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest protestant church in the Netherlands in terms of membership. It is the continuation of three former churches, the Netherlands Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it exists as from May 1st, 2004.

    The address for the Commission of Archives is: Commissie voor de Archieven der Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk
    Overgoo 11
    Postbus 405
    2260 AK Leidschendam
    The Netherlands

    See the “Church Records” section for more information.

    Church Parish Offices

    Church records after 1811 are usually kept by the local parish, which may also have earlier records. It is possible to write to local parishes and church archives for information. See the “Church Records” section for additional help.

    Historical and Genealogical Societies

    In the Netherlands there are many organized historical and genealogical societies. Many societies maintain libraries and/or archives that collect valuable records. For more information, including addresses of some societies, see the “Societies” section.

    The following is a helpful directory of Dutch archive addresses:

    Koninklijke Vereniging van Archivarissen in Nederland. Almanak van het Nederlands Archiefwezen (Almanac of Addresses and Personnel of Dutch Archives). ’s-Gravenhage: De Vereniging, 1992. (FHL book Ref 949.2J54k.)

    Information about archives may also be obtained online. The following web site gives addresses, opening times, and details about their holdings:

    Some of the sites found there are:

    Libraries

    Museums

    Record Offices

    Inventories, Registers, and Catalogs

    Most archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these resources before you visit, or use them during your visit so you can use your time more effectively. A helpful survey of the holdings of the General State Archives and state archives is:

    • Pirenne, L. P. L., ed. De Rijksarchieven in Nederland (The State Archives in the Netherlands). ’s-Gravenhage: Staatsuit- geverij, 1973. (FHL book 949.2 A3pi.)

    This guide is available at the Family History Library, at your public or university library, or through interlibrary loan.

    The Family History Library has copies of many published inventories and other guides, catalogs, and directories from other archives and libraries. These types of records are listed in the Place search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

    NETHERLANDS – ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

    NETHERLANDS, [PROVINCE] – ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

    NETHERLANDS, [PROVINCE], [TOWN] –

    ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

    Websites

    1. ↑ "What can I find at the National Archives and what can I find elsewhere?", Netherlands National Archive, https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/hoe-doe-ik-onderzoek-in-archieven#collapse-9199, accessed 26 November 2022.
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