Tiroler Landesarchiv State Archives of Tyrol

Overview

The Tiroler Landesarchiv (State Archives of Tyrol) is the official public archive for the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, operating under the Tyrolean Archives Act of 2017 as a department within the Office of the Tyrolean Regional Government. Located at Michael-Gaismair-Straße 1 in Innsbruck, it is the custodian of more than 30,000 linear meters of archival records spanning the 11th century to the present.

History and Founding

The Tiroler Landesarchiv traces its roots to the archive of the medieval Tyrolean sovereigns, which constitutes the foundation of its collections. The two formerly separate institutions—the Tiroler Landesarchiv and the Landschaftlichen Archiv—were united in 1995. The present institution maintains historical significance extending well beyond the current provincial borders, as from the 11th century until 1918/1919 it held records for the entire historical crown land of Tyrol, including what is now South Tyrol (Italy) and Trentino.

Collections and Holdings

The archive holds more than 30,000 linear meters of records divided into hundreds of holdings. The bulk of the material originates from state (formerly sovereign) administrative offices and authorities, covering central administration (including Fridericiana, Sigmundiana, Maximiliana, and Schatzarchiv collections), justice (appeals court, regional court, 21 district courts), and a range of mixed collections including charters, manuscripts, land registers, maps, plans, and a pest archive. Non-governmental archives include 14 Tyrolean monastery archives, 16 noble family archives, dozens of association archives, two company archives, a guild archive, and 34 personal estates. The archive also holds the Evidenzarchiv, preserving records on Tyrolean members of the Austro-Hungarian Army and German Wehrmacht. Parish registers (Catholic and Protestant, from approximately 1600) are available online.

Publications

The archive publishes two major series: Tiroler Geschichtsquellen and Veröffentlichungen des Tiroler Landesarchivs, along with works on Tyrolean community coats of arms and family history.

Access and Usage

The archive is freely and freely accessible for scientific, local history, genealogical, and other research, with no advance registration required. Opening hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 08:00–17:00, and Friday, 08:00–12:00.