Odense City Archives

Overview

Odense City Archives (Odense Stadsarkiv) is the official municipal and local history archive for the city of Odense, Denmark's third largest city and the principal city of the island of Funen. Established on 1 January 1991, it operates as a public archive under Danish archival law. The archive is co-located with the Odense Central Library at Historiens Hus (House of History), located at Klosterbakken 2 in central Odense.

History and Founding

The archive was established in its current form on 1 January 1991. It serves a dual function as both the municipal archive for Odense Kommune and as the local history archive for the city of Odense. The Odensedatabasen — an online genealogical and historical database covering persons and buildings in Odense from 1741 to 1921 — is one of the archive's key digital projects, drawing on census records, parish registers, guild records, tax registers, probate records, and other sources.

Collections and Holdings

The archive's collections contain over 5,000 linear meters of original material, of which approximately four kilometers are municipal records from Odense Kommune from 1869 onwards. Holdings include papers, registers, photographs, film, and audio collections relating to the city of Odense, its citizens, associations, businesses, and institutions. The archive also preserves records of former surrounding municipalities that were merged into Odense in 1970. Collections are registered in arkiv.dk, the national Danish archive database.

Access and Usage

Researchers and the public may access the archive's reading room at Historiens Hus by prior appointment, contacting staff to retrieve materials. The Odensedatabasen (odensedatabasen.dk) provides online access to genealogical and historical data. The archive also publishes an annual local history yearbook, Odensebogen, which has approximately 2,800 subscribers.