Архив Jугославије

On 19 February 2009, by decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Archives of Yugoslavia were founded as a cultural institution. With this decision its old name was returned – the Archives of Yugoslavia, instead of the Archives of Serbia and Montenegro, their name since 2003. The activities of the Archives have remained unchanged. The internal structure of the Archives of Yugoslavia followed, developed and were fine-tuned simultaneously with the development of the needs and opportunities for the protection of archival records at state level. In the period following its establishment, namely from 1950 - 1959 the structure of the Archives reflected and dovetailed with the main tasks, which were primarily to locate, register, gather and sort public records for which the Archives were responsible. In 1959, the Federal Executive Council adopted its first act laying down the structure of the Archives. It was important not only in that it was the first such act passed by a public authority but also in that it established a separate department within the Archives for the information on archival records. This was an indicator of the fact that, in the period until that date, the Archives had managed to complete a large number of technical tasks with its records that were now in a condition that made it possible to use them and get more detailed information about the holdings and collections. The next act on the structure of the Archives was passed in 1965, which determined its definite structure. It was much more complex than before and had well-defined structural segments each responsible for a particular type of technical duties. This structure included a separate segment for the protection of archival records outside the Archives; namely, a library was established. The sorting out and processing of archival material took place in two separate structural segments depending on the periodisation of the holdings in question. The new structure was put in place in 1973 following the adoption of the Law on the Archives for the first time providing for the establishment of a department for the special protection of archival records and a somewhat changed structure for the sorting out and processing of public records. According to the structure in place in 1978 when the Archives was once again incorporated into the government administration structure, the duties were divided up between two departments: the first covered archival duties and the second - legal and technical protection of archival records. Lower-level structural segments - sections were introduced, too. The structure of the Archives in 1979 and 1980 included, for the first time, a research group as a separate structural segment. The sorting out and processing of records took place within the structural segments that were set up depending on the activity of the entities producing holdings and collections. Further changes in the Archives' structure (until 2000) made it possible for a large number of duties to be streamlined in terms of human and technical resources. The structure of the Archives in 2000 included two departments: the department for supervision, protection, sorting out, processing and use of archival records and the department for the application of information technologies, publishing of archival records, cultural and educational activity and international cooperation. In addition to the two departments, there was also a Section for Legal and Administrative Affairs. In 2003 the first Act on the Structure of the Archives was passed within the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. The duties are performed by three departments as the main structural segments notably: the department for the protection of archival records, information and use; the department for sorting out and processing of archival records; and the department for IT applying and technical protection of archival records. Within each of these departments there are two lower-level structural segments - (5) units and (1) desk. Apart from these three departments, there is also a separate Legal, Material-Financial and Administrative Affairs Section. The salient features of this structure of the Archives are the following: the activities of the Archives are accurately defined; the performance of the duties and tasks presupposes an adequate working methodology and personnel; the technological process for a particular technical assignment or task is complete and structural segments are coherent and mutually interlinked making it possible to achieve maximum efficiency throughout the Archives. When the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro ceased to exist in May 2006, the Republic of Serbia became an independant state and acquired successor state status. The Republic of Serbia, based on the Decree on Financing Competencies, which were transferred from the former state union to the Republic of Serbia, has continued to finance competencies of the Archives of Serbia and Montenegro. The Archives of Serbia and Montenegro existed under this name from 2003 until 19th February 2009, when by the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia the Archives of Yugoslavia was established, as a cultural institution.  

The reproduction of the archival documents is allowed. Prices and services can be consulted at the following link:http://www.arhivyu.gov.rs/active/en/home/glavna_navigacija/koriscenje_gradje/cenovnik_usluga.html 

From the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 148 fonds have been preserved. The number of record groups and the quantity of materials from this period would undoubtedly be larger had it not been for the large-scale devastation of this part of our cultural heritage too during World War II. Apart from that, selected archival records were systematically carted away by the occupying power. Despite the incompleteness of archival material from the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, record groups of the central bodies of authority and state administration in the spheres of internal and foreign policy, finance, economy, health, education, culture, welfare, justice, banking etc. constitute valuable and crucial sources for studying the history of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In classifying and processing record groups, those from from the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia have been accorded priority in view of their having become accessible for use, and most of them have been processed and equipped with finding aids. (list of fonds, see: http://www.arhivyu.gov.rs/active/en/home/glavna_navigacija/arhivska_gradja/fondovi_i_zbirke/fondovi_iz_perioda_do_1945_godine/lista_fondova_do_1945.html) Although the archival holdings from the period after 1945 are lengthy, the level of preservation of some fonds, especially those until 1953, is not satisfactory. The AJ-50 Presidency of the Government of the FPRY fond can serve as an illustration, because the minutes and documents from government sessions are missing, among other things. On the other hand, the АЈ-507 Communist Party of Yugoslavia fond is very well preserved for that period and represents important additional material and frequently even the main source for the studies of developments from Yugoslav history after 1945. During the NATO bombing, in the night between April 2 and 3, 1999, the archival holdings from five fonds relocated to the building of the Federal Interior Ministry were destroyed (four entirely and one partly).  

The conditions of Access can be consulted at the following link (in English): http://www.arhivyu.gov.rs/active/en/home/glavna_navigacija/koriscenje_gradje/izvod_iz_pravilnika_o_koriscenju_arhivske_gradje.html