- Who can use the archive?
- What kinds of document are held in the Archive?
- Is it possible to have access to all the documents held in the Archive?
- What information about my family would I find in the Archive?
- Where will I find the individual wages records from my place of employment?
- I would like to turn to the archives while writing my Batchelor's/Master's/Ph.D. thesis. Where should I start?
- How do I use the Archive library?
- Which services carry a fee?
- Can I make copies of documents myself?
- Is it possible to borrow records from the State Archive in Kalisz?
Who can use the archive?
The right to avail themselves of the records is enjoyed by natural and legal persons, social organisations, and state and local self-governing bodies, as well as by organisational bodies with no legal personality. The archival materials held in the Archive can be accessed in the Reading Room, free of charge, between 8.30 AM and 3.30 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and between 8.30 AM and 6.30 PM on Tuesdays
What kinds of document are held in the Archive?
By far the greatest part of the collection comprises records generated by general state and self-governing administrative bodies; this is followed by the records of political parties, social movements, judicial institutions and registry offices. The remaining documents form a legacy of records from special administrative bodies, housing collectives, trades unions, and financial, economic, educational and cultural organizations. The collection also houses a modest section containing the collections and legacies of private individuals.
The majority of the archival materials date from the 19th and 20th centuries; earlier documents are something of an exception.
One of the Kalisz archive's specific attributes is this; it operates on territory which formerly lay within two of the Partitions, the Prussian and the Russian, with the River Prosna serving as the border. Thus many of the records housed in our archive were generated by two different clerical systems and written in two different languages, German and Russian.
Is it possible to have access to all the documents held in the Archive?
Access to the material is free of charge and encompasses all records duly entered into the accession register, that is, materials for which finding aids exist, enabling individual, content-specific items to be identified.
Records held in the archive become available 30 years after they were created, insofar as this does not violate the legitimate protection of the interests of the state and her citizens.
When circumstances warrant, the Archive Director may consent to their being made available prior to their official release date under the 30-year rule. The archival materials may be used in the Reading Room, provided that their physical condition permits this. The Archive also provides records on microfilm.
Reproduction of archival materials (scanning, photographing and photocopying) is payable (see price list).What information about my family would I find in the Archive?
Before you launch a family history search, we advise you to browse through our Guide to Genealogy.
Where will I find the individual wages records from my place of employment?
- In the national database of closed-down enterprises.
- In the database of closed-down enterprises held by the State Archive in Kalisz.
I would like to turn to the archives while writing my Batchelor's/Master's/Ph.D. thesis. Where should I start?
You should make your own selection of archival materials. A print-out of the database of descriptions may prove to be very useful for this. Then you will need to pay a visit to our Reading Room, where you can actually make use not only of the records, but also of the library collection.
How do I use the Archive library?
The library collection is open to the public, in the Archive's Reading Room, between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM., and from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM on Tuesdays (orders are accepted until 3:00 PM)
Which services carry a fee?
Access to the archival materials held in all the archives is free of charge.
Reproduction of archival materials (scanning, photographing and photocopying) is payable (see price list).
The applicable stamp duty is also payable for making authenticated copies, duplicates and extracts.
The Archive offers an assisted search service, available to institutions and private individuals; the service is provided free of charge in, for example, social cases, or cases of claims for damages; otherwise a fee is charged, as specified in the price list.
Can I make copies of documents myself?
Yes, it is possible to make copies of documents with your own camera but no flash.
Is it possible to borrow records from the State Archive in Kalisz?
No, the records cannot be borrowed for use outside the Archive. Archival records demand very special protection and may only be used on site in the Reading Room.
Original records held in other state archives cannot be ordered by the State Archive in Kalisz. However, microfilm records of the material can be ordered on request.
