Netherlands Archives and Libraries

Netherlands Online Genealogy Records

Online Sources

 * WieWasWie
 * - How To Use This Collection
 * Archives around the Netherlands have contributed indexes which cover many record sources, such as civil registration, church records, emigration lists, military registers, and land and tax records. These records cover events like birth, marriage, death, and burial. These indexes were originally collected, combined and published by OpenArchives. For the entire index collection and more information visit www.openarch.nl.


 * - How To Use This Collection
 * Archives around the Netherlands have contributed indexes which cover many record sources, such as civil registration, church records, emigration lists, military registers, and land and tax records. This collection will cover population registration. These indexes were originally collected, combined and published by OpenArchives. For the entire index collection and more information visit www.openarch.nl.

Introduction
In the Netherlands there are five major types of genealogical repositories:
 * Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm.
 * If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one.
 * Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the Family History Library may have microfilmed and/or digitized copies of them.


 * State (national and provincial) archives.
 * Regional and municipal archives.
 * Royal and Nobility archives
 * Church archives.
 * Church parish offices.
 * Historical and genealogical societies.

Archives
What can I find at the National Archives and what can I find elsewhere?
 * In the National Archives, you will find the archives of the national government, such as the archives of the ministries and of the Senate and House of Representatives. In addition, the National Archives stores archives that are important to the history of the Netherlands, such as the archives of the VOC and the WIC, but also the archive of the KNVB.
 * Furthermore, the National Archives is the regional archive of the province of South Holland. For example, the court archives of South Holland are located here.
 * Each province in the Netherlands has its own provincial archive: the Regional Historical Centers (RHCs). Here are the archives that are important at a regional level. Think of the archives of the province, the court archives and the archives of the Chamber of Commerce.
 * For local history, you can go to the city and regional archives. Think of the Amsterdam city archive and the Eemland archive. Here, for example, are the archives of the municipal authorities, the notarial archives and the archives of important families from the city or region.

Nationaal Archief (National Archive)
The address of the National Archive (Nationaal Archief) is: Nationaal Archief Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 20 2595 BE 's-Gravenhage The Netherlands Mailing Address:
 * Postbus 90520 2509 LM ’s-Gravenhage The Netherlands

Telephone: 070-331-5400 (general information) 070-331-5444 (information concerning the holdings) Fax: 070-331 5499 E-mail: info@nationaalarchief.nl Website Search Aids

Regional and Municipal Archives

 * The provincial archives are located in the capital of each of the 12 provinces.
 * Municipal archives exist for most large towns. They contain the same type of genealogical records found in the state archives.
 * The Family History Library has microfilmed many records from these archives.
 * Each archive collects records from its respective province. Records of genealogical value at these archives include:

'''These links lead to a Wiki article for each provincial archive. Addresses, information on available index, and links to digitized records are explained.'''

Royal and Nobility Archives
Koninklijk Huisarchief Paleis Noordeinde, Den Haag (Via Paleistuin, Prinsessewal), The Netherlands Postal address: Postbus 30412, 2500 GK Den Haag, The Netherlands Phone: (070)362-47-01 (070)362-47-01 Fax: (070)365-93-48 E-mail: koninklijk.huisarchief@dkh.nl
 * In the Royal House Archive are the personal records found of the members of the House of Nassau and Orange Nassau from the 13th century till the present.

Hoge Raad van Adel Nassaulaan 2-B, 2514 JS Den Haag, The Netherlands Postal address: Postbus 16325, 2500 BH Den Haag, The Netherlands Phone: (070)361-42-81 (070)361-42-81 Fax: (070)363-17-12 E-mail: info@hogeraadvanadel.nl Website
 * Advising of the Crown concerning nobility issues, gevornment heraldry, some name changes and military emblems; advising of lower public judicial bodies concerning flags; advising of corporations and privat persons concerning genealogy and heraldry.

Catholic Church
Katholiek Documentatie Centrum (Catholic Documentation Center) Radboud Universiteit in Nijmegen Gelderland, The Netherlands Documentatie Centrum (KDC)

Archives exist for each of these dioceses:
 * Bisdom Breda
 * Bisdom Groningen-Leeuwarden
 * Bisdom Haarlem
 * Bisdom Den Bosch
 * Bisdom Roermond
 * Bisdom Rotterdam
 * Aartsbisdom Utrecht

Dutch Reformed Church
Protestantse Kerk in Nederland Commissie voor de Archieven der Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk Overgoo 11 Postbus 405 2260 AK Leidschendam The Netherlands
 * The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest protestant church in the Netherlands in terms of membership. It is the continuation of three former churches, the Netherlands Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it exists as from May 1st, 2004.

See the “Netherlands Church Records” article for more information.

Church Parish Offices
Church records after 1811 are usually kept by the local parish, which may also have earlier records. It is possible to write to local parishes and church archives for information. See the “Netherlands Church Records” section for additional help.

Historical and Genealogical Societies
In the Netherlands there are many organized historical and genealogical societies. Many societies maintain libraries and/or archives that collect valuable records. For more information, including addresses of some societies, see the “Netherlands Societies” article.

The following is a helpful directory of Dutch archive addresses:


 * Koninklijke Vereniging van Archivarissen in Nederland. Almanak van het Nederlands Archiefwezen (Almanac of Addresses and Personnel of Dutch Archives). ’s-Gravenhage: De Vereniging, 1992. (FHL book Ref 949.2J54k.)

Some of the sites found there are:
 * Archiefcentrum (NRAC) University of Groningen
 * Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden (HCL)
 * The HCL originated from the former Municipal Archives of Leeuwarden, originally the legal repository of the archives of the Leeuwarden city council. The oldest charter dates from the 13th century. Newer archives are, for example, the population registers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Over time, the archives of municipal institutions such as schools and the police also ended up at the Municipal Archives. Churches also deposited their archives, as did the neighboring municipality of Leeuwarderadeel. Furthermore, archives of companies, families and associations have been collected.


 * Oudheidkundige Vereniging "Herderewich" (Antiquarian Society of Harderwijk)

Libraries
National Library of Netherlands Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5 2595 BE Den Haag The Netherlands Postal address:Postbus 90407, 2509 LK Den Haag, The Netherlands Phone:+31 (0)70 31 40 911 Website

Royal Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek) Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5 2595 BE The Hague Netherlands Phone: +31 70-3140310

Museums

 * Google Hits for Netherlands Museums
 * 100 Top Museums of the Netherlands

Record Offices
See Netherlands Civil Registration: Applying for Recent Civil Registration Records.

Websites

 * Surname Navigator The Netherlands. Megasearch engines by province.
 * — index
 * , index.
 * WieWasWie -Major site containing most civil registration records, and some population registers, church records, newspapers and military records
 * Using the Dutch Website: WieWasWie
 * WieWasWie, Past the index: What to do next
 * Dutch Research Before 1811
 * Openarch Similar to WieWasWie but with slightly more records. A small portion of its records can be searched in the collections and, index.
 * OpenArch.nl Website: Four Lessons