Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amts Invenio (Foreign Office Political Archive)

History and Founding

The Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amts (Political Archive of the German Federal Foreign Office) was formally established in 1920 as the Hauptarchiv during the post-World War I reorganisation of the German Foreign Office. It received the name 'Politisches Archiv' in 1924. The archive preserves the records of the German Foreign Service from the founding of the North German Confederation in 1867 to the present day. After World War II, the archive was partly held by the Western Allies before being progressively returned to the Federal Republic; by 1959 all remaining material had been transported to Bonn, and the archive was later relocated to Berlin following German reunification. Since the end of 2020, the centralised online finding aid has been 'Invenio', developed by the Federal Archives.

Collections and Holdings

The archive holds approximately 28.5 linear kilometres of files and treaties. Core holdings include records of the Federal Foreign Office and diplomatic missions abroad from 1867 to 1945 and from 1949 to the present; records of the GDR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and missions abroad (1949–1990); international treaties from 1831 onwards; and personal bequests of German diplomats. The archive also holds around 10,000 photographs and 300 audiovisual materials.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The archive contains press-related files among Foreign Office departmental records, including materials relating to wartime press policy, German information policy abroad, and cultural diplomacy. The annual publication series Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (AAPD), presenting key foreign policy documents from 30 years earlier, is based on holdings at this archive.

Access and Usage

The Reading Room is located at Kurstraße 36, Berlin-Mitte (entrance to the Political Archive), and has approximately 30 seats. All research requests must be made through the contact form on the website. Records older than 30 years are generally available for public access under the Federal Archives Act. Selected digitised records are available via Invenio.