Rijksarchief Antwerpen / Archives de l’État à Anvers

By Royal Decree of 24 February 1896, a national archives depository was established in the province of Antwerp. In comparison with other provincial capitals, this was rather late. 

For information on reproduction services and fees, please visit the following web page: http://arch.arch.be/index.php?l=en&m=practical-information&r=reproductions 

The archives held at the State Archives in Antwerp-Beveren can be subdivided into two main geographical areas. Most of the documents can be freely consulted in the reading room of the depot in Beveren. Researchers should note that the archives that were under the jurisdiction of the former judicial district of Dendermonde have been held by the State Archives in Ghent since 2015. 1\) The State Archives in Antwerp-Beveren hold archives under the jurisdiction of the region of Flanders These archival collections cover all or large parts of the Flemish region: - Parish records of the Ancien Régime - Civil status records (19th and 20th centuries) - Commercial records of the Commercial Courts (essentially 20th century) - Company archives (mainly 19th and 20th centuries) - Archives of the central services of the Flemish Community (mainly in the second half of the 20th century) - Overviews of available funds - Finding aids 2\) The archives under the jurisdiction of Antwerp The archives under the jurisdiction of Antwerp come from public and private institutions, organisations, families and individuals who were, at one time or another, on the territory of the current province of Antwerp. - Public Archives of the Ancien Régime - Public archives of the contemporary period - Ecclesiastical Archives - Notarial archives - Private Archives - Genealogical sources - Collections - Overviews of available funds - Finding aids For more on the State Archives in Antwerp-Beveren's holdings, see: http://arch.arch.be/index.php?l=nl&m=praktische-info&r=onze-leeszalen&d=beveren#archives-conservees (in Dutch) http://arch.arch.be/index.php?l=fr&m=en-pratique&r=nos-salles-de-lecture&d=beveren#archives-conservees (in French) 

The French law of 26 October 1796 (5 Brumaire V) laid the foundations of the organisational structure of the present-day Belgian State Archives. The law stipulated that the archives of institutions and administrations abolished by the French authorities were to be collected and preserved at the regional metropolis of each newly created ‘Département’. In 1831, the archive depot in Brussels was officially named the “Archives Générales du Royaume” (National Archives of Belgium). By virtue of the Royal Decree of 17 December 1851, the “Archives de l’État dans les Provinces” (State Archives in the Provinces) were placed under the authority of the National Archivist. Now broadly known as ‘the State Archives of Belgium’, the National Archives and the State Archives in the Provinces are a federal academic organisation that forms part of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO). The State Archives are made up of the National Archives in Brussels and 17 State Archives that are distributed throughout the country. The State Archives’ role is to ensure the proper preservation of archival documents produced and managed by the state authorities. In order to fulfil its responsibilities, the State Archives issue directives and recommendations; conduct inspections and organise training for civil servants. The State Archives also act as an advisory body for the construction and preparation of premises for the conservation of archives and for the organisation of archive management within public institutions. The State Archives obtain and preserve (following sorting) archival documents that are at least 30 years old from courts, tribunals, public authorities, notaries and from the private sector and private individuals (companies, politicians, associations and societies, influential families, etc. that have played an important role in society). They ensure that public archives are transferred according to strict archival standards. 

Since 1 June 2018, access to the reading rooms of the State Archives is free. This new measure has been put in place to ensure access to our archives for all citizens. The State Archives online archives, which include civil status and church registers that are older than 100 years, can be accessed for free as well. For other fees that may apply, please see: http://www.arch.be/docs/tarifs.pdf