Secret State Archives Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Archive and cultural heritage monument in Dahlem, Germany.
The Secret State Archives is a repository in Berlin-Dahlem that collects and preserves documents, maps, deeds, and records spanning roughly 800 years of history. The holdings total about 38,000 meters of archival material and are complemented by a specialized library holding approximately 190,000 volumes.
The institution originated in 1598 from the Brandenburg chancellery and was formally designated as the Secret State Archives in 1803 to protect confidential state documents. This designation reflected the growing need to organize and safeguard the expanding administrative records of the developing state apparatus.
The holdings document the lives and experiences of Jewish communities in German territories and reflect the broader social changes across Prussian lands. Visitors can trace how different groups shaped the cultural and economic development of these regions through the preserved records.
The facility is located in an easily accessible part of Berlin and welcomes researchers interested in exploring its collections. About a quarter of the holdings can be researched through digital finding aids and catalog systems available on site, making searches much more convenient.
The collections contain records documenting how Prussian territories evolved from the Lower Rhine region to East Prussia, including periods when Franconian rulers held sway. These rare materials allow visitors to trace territorial and political transformations across multiple centuries in one place.
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