Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken

The foundation of the Leiden Regional Archive was laid in 1847 when the city archives of Leiden were appointed. It would take another 100 years before there was a special municipal department that would take care of the monuments and lmost 150 years before the first municipal archaeologist was appointed. In 2013 the historical archives, the institution for historic preservation, the archeology institution were grouped together in Erfgoed Leiden. 

The Leiden Regional Archive administers the archives of all municipalities in its jurisdiction: Leiden, Leiderdorp, Katwijk (only Rijnsburg) Teylingen (Sassenheim, Voorhout and Warmond), Hillegom, Noordwijk, the former hamlet De Vennip and Zoeterwoude. The instituion also manages the private archives of many agencies and organizations. The Leiden Regional Archive administers many materials regarding the Second World War. These documents are of various kinds. For example, you can find counterfeit and illegal press, but also diaries, interviews with resistance fighters and more. All documents include both a description and a background story that tells the historical context of the document, provided by an expert.