Denmark Archives and Libraries

Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations, such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes the major repositories of genealogical and historical records and sources for Denmark. When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in this outline, return to this section to obtain the address.

If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the organization and ask for information about their hours, services, and fees. When writing to an archive in Denmark, you may write in English.

Although the records you need may be in an archive or library in Denmark, the Family History Library may have a microfilm copy of them. The library has copies of many records from the Danish archives.

In Denmark there are several types of genealogical repositories:


 * National archives and libraries
 * Regional archives
 * Military archives
 * Church parish offices
 * University and public libraries
 * Historical and genealogical
 * Societies

National Archives
The Danish government collects records relating to Danish history, culture, and people. Original records of genealogical value at the National Archives include census and emigration records. Photocopies of census records from 1850 on are available to search. The copies are indexed by parish. The National Archives also has microfilm copies of all the church records for the whole country. Microfilm copies of the military records are also available at the National Archives.

The National Archives of Denmark is open to the public. Microfilm copies of many records at the National Archives are available at the Family History Library, other major archives and libraries, and branches of the National Archives. The address of the National Archives is:

Rigsarkivet Rigsdagsgården 9 DK-1218 København K. Denmark Phone: Tel. 33 92 33 10 Internet: Danish National Archives Archives Online Email questions to: [mailto:mailbox@ra.sa.dk. mailbox@ra.sa.dk]

Daisy
The archives has an online catalog of it's holdings, called "Daisy".  As of February 2011 not all regional archives had completed uploading their data. The complete holdings of the Rigsarkiv and Landsarkiv for Sjælland are included in Daisy.

Daisy

Danish Demographic Database (DDD)
"Here in the Danish Demographic Database (DDD) you can search for information in a wide range of different sources. You can search for individuals or families when you have some information in advance. Furthermore, the people you are looking for must be found in the databases. More data is added to the databases all the time."
 * Danish Demographic Database
 * Censuses
 * Since 1787, personal data on name, age, marital status, occupation and much more has been regularly collected.


 * Church Books
 * Database with entered church records. The church registers are divided by event.


 * Emigrants
 * The Copenhagen police's information on emigrants - either via Copenhagen or via Hamburg.


 * Immigrant history databases
 * Immigrant history databases; includes people who were granted work residence, naturalized or deported.


 * Other Databases

Reading Rooms
In Denmark, there were four regional archives:
 * Landsarkivet for Sjælland served the counties of Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Holbæk, Maribo, København and København City, Præstø, and Sorø:
 * Landsarkivet for Fyn served the counties of Odense and Svendborg:
 * Landsarkivet for Nørrejylland served the counties of Ålborg, Århus, Hjørring, Randers, Ribe, Ringkøbing, Skanderborg, Thisted, Viborg, and Vejle:
 * Landsarkivet in Åbenrå served the counties of Åbenrå, Sønderborg, Haderslev, and Tønder:

As a result of organizational changes, the State Archives was transformed in 2014 into a unitary organization called the National Archives with reading rooms located in five cities:
 * Rigsarkivet, Copenhagen (formerly simply called Rigsarkivet and Landsarkivet for Sjælland).
 * The National Archives, Odense (formerly called the National Archives for Fyn and Danish Data Archive ).
 * The National Archives, Viborg (formerly called the National Archives for Nørrejylland ).
 * The National Archives, Aabenraa.
 * Until 18 December 2015, there was also a reading room in Aarhus called Rigsarkivet, Aarhus (from 1948 to 2014, however, called Erhvervsarkivet ).

The Military Archives
The holdings of the Danish Military Archive have been transferred to the National Archives and are listed in the archives online catalog, Daisy. The records of the Danish army and navy, including regimental records, levy rolls, sea rolls, and so forth, are held by the National Archives.

Copenhagen City Archive
Copenhagen's city archive has records that deal primarily with the city's population. The city archive address is:

Københavns Stadsarkiv Rådhuset DK 1599 København V Denmark Telephone: 33 66 13 74 Email: stadsarkiv@kff.kk.dk Website: https://www.kbharkiv.dk/

Church Parish Offices
All parishes of the Lutheran church have their records that are less than 50 years old. You can write to the local parishes for information. When writing to a local parish, it is best to make your request minimal and specific. Do not send money at first. If there is a charge, you will be billed. The addresses for Danish parishes is:

Kordegns kontor (Name of the parish) Sogn (Name of the parish) Denmark

It is courteous to included a self-addressed envelope. Allow four to six weeks for a response.

Libraries
Det Kongelige Bibliotek (the Royal Library) of Denmark functions much as the United States Library of Congress. It has copies of most books published in Denmark. They have a large collection of published genealogies, manuscripts, histories, directories, maps, and newspapers. The Royal Library has published catalogs of their genealogy and local history collections. See the "Genealogy" and "History" sections.

Kongelige Bibliotek

Christians Brygge 8 DK-1219 København K Denmark Internet: http://www.kb.dk/en/ Email: kb@kb.dk

Other Libraries
Some of the sources you will want to use are available in major libraries in Denmark and in the United States and other countries. Contact these libraries and ask about their collection, hours, services, and fees.

The Universitetsbiblioteket (University Library) has most of the books published in Denmark.

Universitetsbibliotekets 1 Af (Div.) Fiolstræde 1 DK-1171 København Denmark Internet: http://www.romansk.ku.dk/bib/ariane/tale.html

Universitetsbibliotekets 2 Af (Div.) Nørre Alle 49 DK-2200 København Denmark

The Frederiksberg Kommunebibliotek (Fredriksberg Community Library) has collected many published sources, such as local histories, city directories, maps, newspapers. It also has a large collection of family histories.

Frederiksberg Kommunebibliotek Solbjergvej 25 DK-2000 København Denmark

The Danish Immigrant Museum and Family History Genealogy Center:

4210 Main Street, PO Box 249

Elk Horn, Iowa (IA) 51531-0249 USA

Centralbiblioteket (The Central Library) in Rønne city on the island of Bornholm has microfilm copies of all the records of Bornholm needed for genealogical research.

Museums
The Danish Immigrant Museum, Family History &amp; Genealogy Center (Library &amp; museum of Danish Immigrants to the United States:

4210 Main Street, PO Box 249

Elk Horn, IA (Iowa) 51531-0249 USA

www.danishmuseum.org

 Internet: http://www.sa.dk/content/dk/om_statens_arkiver/organisation/landsarkiverne/landsarkivet_for_norrejylland

Inventories, Registers, Catalogs
Many archives and libraries have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit, or use the records of an archive so that you can use your time more effectively.

The following are helpful guides to the archives and libraries in Denmark:


 * Henning, Jensen, and Ebba Thorkelin. Arkivhåndbog Nørrejylland (Handbook to the Regional Archive of North Jutland). København: Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag, 1980. (FHL book 948.95 A3a.)


 * Worsøe, Hans H. Landsarkivet for Nørrejylland (The Regional Archive of North Jutland). Vol. 1. Viborg: Rigsarkivet, 1980. (FHL book 948.95 A3l.)


 * Rasmussen, Poul. Landsarkivet for Nørrejylland (The Regional Archive of North Jutland). Vol 2. Viborg: Rigsarkivet, 1981. (FHL book 948.95 A3l.)


 * Riising, Anne. Landsarkivet for Fyn (The Regional Archive for Fyn). Odense: Andelsbogtrykkeriet, 1970. (FHL book 948.93 A3r.)


 * Jørgensen, Harald. Landsarkivet for Sjælland, Lolland-Falster og Bornholm (The Regional Archive for the islands of Sjælland, Lolland-Falster and Bornholm). København and Odense: Andelsbogtrykkeriet, 1966. (FHL book 948.911/K1 A3j.)


 * Kohl, Carl V. Hærrens Arkiv (The Military Archive). København: Krigsministeriet, 1946. (FHL book 948.911/K1 J5k.)

The Family History Library has copies of some of the published inventories and has other guides, catalogs, directories, and inventories of these and other libraries. These types of records are listed in the catalog under DENMARK - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES. You may also find records under the region (such as Nørrejylland) or county.

Websites

 * Archives Portal Europe provides access to information on archival material from Belgium as well as information on archival institutions throughout the European continent.
 * DIS-Arkivalielister is an attempt to list the various digital arkivaler in a more orderly manner, as well as the possibility to search in several different ways especially on AO.