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  • Files in the Berlin Archive

    Access to Stasi Records

    The Stasi Records Archive provides the records of the State Security Service of the former GDR. The legal basis is the Stasi Records Act, which regulates, among other things, application requirements and access options.

  • Group photo of the family of Friedrich Baltrusch (1914/1918)

    Searching for Persons and Ancestors

    The archival material at the Federal Archives contains a large number of person-related documents. They can, for example, help to clarify service periods and nationalities.

View and use archive material

  • Files

    More than 500 kilometres of files mainly arisen in the 20th century form the core part of the Federal Archives' holdings. These files are described by information on their content and the covered period.

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  • Pictures

    The Federal Archives hold numerous photographs, aerial pictures and posters that document the history of the German state in its political, socio-economic and cultural relations. 

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  • Films

    More than 370.000 documentary and feature films on different carrier material are in our collection. Complementary material such as programmes, photos, posters and scripts can also be found.

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  • 530

    continuous kilometres including index cards. In addition, there are around 15 million images, over 900,000 analogue film reels, sounds, posters and many other archive materials.

More Services

  • Shelves of the library. The library of the Stasi Records Agency is open to the public.

    Libraries

    The Federal Archives provides users with more than 2 million publications at seven locations.

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  • A page of the Stasi Records Act

    Legal Basis

    The Stasi Records Act (StUG) together with the Federal Archives Act (BArchG) form the legal basis for access records.

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  • Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Straße

    International Cooperations

    The National Archives is associated with many cultural institutions from Germany and abroad through close mutual exchange, joint projects or formal cooperation.

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