Netherlands Archives and Libraries

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In other languages: Nederlands

Netherlands

Archives and Libraries

Netherlands Online Genealogy Records

Online Sources

• WieWasWie
• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records, 1600-2000 - How To Use This Collection

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.

• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Population Registers - How To Use This Collection

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 FamilySearch 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.

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
Email: 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 FamilySearch 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.

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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
Paleis Noordeinde, Den Haag (Via Paleistuin, Prinsessewal), The Netherlands
Postal address: Postbus 30412, 2500 GK Den Haag, The Netherlands
Phone: (070)362-47-01 (070)362-47-01
Fax: (070)365-93-48
Email: koninklijk.huisarchief@dkh.nl

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
Nassaulaan 2-B, 2514 JS Den Haag, The Netherlands
Postal address: Postbus 16325, 2500 BH Den Haag, The Netherlands
Phone: (070)361-42-81 (070)361-42-81
Fax: (070)363-17-12
Email: info@hogeraadvanadel.nl
Website

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

Catholic Church

Katholiek Documentatie Centrum (Catholic Documentation Center)
Radboud Universiteit in Nijmegen
Gelderland, The Netherlands
Documentatie Centrum (KDC)

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Archives exist for each of these dioceses:

• Bisdom Breda
• Bisdom Groningen-Leeuwarden
• Bisdom Haarlem
• Bisdom Den Bosch
• Bisdom Roermond
• Bisdom Rotterdam
• Aartsbisdom Utrecht

Dutch Reformed Church

Protestantse Kerk in Nederland
Commissie voor de Archieven der Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk
Overgoo 11
Postbus 405
2260 AK Leidschendam
The Netherlands

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.

See the “Netherlands Church Records” article 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 “Netherlands 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 “Netherlands Societies” article.

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. (FS Library book Ref 949.2J54k.)

Some of the sites found there are:

• Archiefcentrum (NRAC) University of Groningen
• Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden (HCL)

The HCL originated from the former Municipal Archives of Leeuwarden, originally the legal repository of the archives of the Leeuwarden city council. The oldest charter dates from the 13th century. Newer archives are, for example, the population registers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Over time, the archives of municipal institutions such as schools and the police also ended up at the Municipal Archives. Churches also deposited their archives, as did the neighboring municipality of Leeuwarderadeel. Furthermore, archives of companies, families and associations have been collected.

• Oudheidkundige Vereniging "Herderewich" (Antiquarian Society of Harderwijk)

Libraries

National Library of Netherlands
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5
2595 BE Den Haag
The Netherlands

Postal address:Postbus 90407, 2509 LK Den Haag, The Netherlands
Phone:+31 (0)70 31 40 911
Website

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Royal Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek)
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5
2595 BE The Hague
Netherlands

Phone: +31 70-3140310

Museums

• Google Hits for Netherlands Museums
• 100 Top Museums of the Netherlands

Record Offices

See Netherlands Civil Registration: Applying for Recent Civil Registration Records.

Websites

• Surname Navigator The Netherlands. Megasearch engines by province.
• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Miscellaneous Records — index
• Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Public Records, index.
• WieWasWie -Major site containing most civil registration records, and some population registers, church records, newspapers and military records
  • Using the Dutch Website: WieWasWie
  • WieWasWie, Past the index: What to do next
  • Dutch Research Before 1811
• Openarch Similar to WieWasWie but with slightly more records. A small portion of its records can be searched in the collections Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Miscellaneous Records and Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Public Records, index.
  • OpenArch.nl Website: Four Lessons