Austrian State Archives Österreichisches Staatsarchiv

History and Founding

The Austrian State Archives (Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, ÖSTA) was established in 1945 as Austria's central national archival institution. It is affiliated with the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMKÖS) and is directed by Director-General Helmut Wohnout. The institution is the primary custodian of Austrian state records from the medieval period through the 20th century, consolidating collections that once formed the dispersed archival apparatus of the Habsburg Monarchy.

Collections and Holdings

The Austrian State Archives is organized into several specialized departments:

• Haus-, Hof- und Staatsarchiv (HHStA): Records of the Habsburg dynasty and its foreign policy from the medieval period onward. Located at Minoritenplatz 1, Vienna.
• Kriegsarchiv (War Archive): A historical military archive focused on materials up to 1918, including over 600,000 maps and plans, campaign and fortification records, naval and air force materials, and field documentation of Habsburg forces. The Karten und Plansammlung is among the most important cartographic collections in Central Europe.
• Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv (AVA): Administrative records from Austrian ministries (interior, justice, education, transport), including a map and plan collection dating 1750–1950.
• Finanz- und Hofkammerarchiv (FHKA): Habsburg-era finance and court chamber records, with a Karten und Plansammlung (1540–1938) covering financial and real estate documentation.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The Archives contain administrative and censorship records generated by Habsburg ministries responsible for press and public communication, offering historians of Austrian journalism access to government oversight records from the 18th through early 20th centuries.

Access and Usage

Holdings are searchable via the online Archivinformationssystem (AIS) catalog. The Central Reading Room (Nottendorfer Gasse 2) is open Monday and Thursday 9:00–17:00, Tuesday and Wednesday 9:00–18:00, and Friday 9:00–13:00. First-time researchers complete a registration form (Forscherbogen). The Archives participate in the Mapire portal, providing georeferenced online access to historical Habsburg-era maps. Digital scans of selected records are also available through the AIS.