Het Utrechts Archief

The origin of the Utrecht Archives is located in a coffin with charters, which was preserved in the Middle Ages in one of the city gates. Later, Utrecht's mayor Booth was part of the council committee that was established in 1639 to give structure to the archives. In 1654 an archive commission under his guidance was put the task of managing the charters. A new charter cabinet was manufactured, where the charters neatly folded could be put in drawers. The Utrecht Archives has opened a new public center in Utrecht city center on June 27, 2008, at the Hamburger Street 28. This will make it accessible to a bigger audience. This new location allows visitors to experience Utrecht's past via a multimedia exhibition. 

The Utrecht Archives store an extensive collection of archives relating to the Second World War. The materials range from war diaries to newspapers, videos from both the occupation and the liberation, maps, photos, and death certificates. For more information consult the Utrecht archives' [thematic site](http://www.hetutrechtsarchief.nl/thema/tweede-wereldoorlog) relating to the Second World War. 

Most of the archives and collections are public and can be consulted online or in the reading room. Sometimes there may be a restriction on public access. For example, if a document or archive contains privacy-sensitive information about people who are still alive. If you would like to view non-public archive documents, you can submit a request in advance by e-mail via inlichtingen@hetutrechtsarchief.nl, after which you will be sent a waiver form.