Budapest City Archives, Municipal archive in Budapest, Hungary
The Budapest City Archives is a municipal repository that houses millions of documents, photographs, and maps related to the history and administration of the Hungarian capital. The collection spans several centuries and includes personal papers, city maps, and administrative records from different periods.
The archives were established in 1873, right after Buda, Pest, and Óbuda merged into one city. During World War II, the institution suffered major losses when approximately one-quarter of its holdings were destroyed by fire.
The archives hold records about families, neighborhoods, and local institutions that show how Budapest developed as three separate cities came together. These documents tell stories of how people lived and how daily life changed across the city over time.
The archives allow researchers and interested visitors to access their holdings on-site, with materials available for consultation in reading rooms. Planning ahead is helpful since staff assistance is needed to locate and retrieve items from the extensive collections.
After wartime destruction, the archives moved into a purpose-built modern facility in 2004 designed with specialized storage conditions to preserve documents. The digital cataloging systems have made portions of the collection accessible online for remote research.
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