National Archives of Sweden Riksarkivet

Overview

The National Archives of Sweden (Riksarkivet) is the official government archive of Sweden and one of the country's oldest public authorities, with roots dating to the Middle Ages. It is responsible for managing records from Sweden's public authorities, preserving historical archives, and making Sweden's documentary heritage accessible to the public and to researchers.

History and Founding

The National Archives were formally established in 1618 under Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, who reorganised record-keeping to create a centralised government archive. Regional archives were established in seven cities between 1899 and 1935, and were merged with Riksarkivet in 2010. The Military Archives (Krigsarkivet), founded in 1805, were incorporated into Riksarkivet in 1995. In 2018, a major project was launched to digitise copyright-free Swedish newspapers preserved by the Royal Library, estimated at 1,250 titles.

Collections and Holdings

As of 2015, Riksarkivet's holdings amounted to approximately 750 kilometres of shelving, comprising parchment and paper records from central and regional government from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as some private archives. The digital holdings include over 130 million digital images. The archives preserve an extraordinary range of materials: diplomatic treaties, church records, population registers, land records, tax lists, maps, photographs, and the unique Novgorod occupation archives—documents written by Russian administrators of Veliky Novgorod during the Swedish occupation of 1611–1617. The archives also host the Dictionary of Swedish National Biography (SBL) as an online database.

Notable Holdings Relating to Media and Journalism

In collaboration with the Royal Library, Riksarkivet is digitising Swedish historical newspapers published before 1906. The archives preserve private records, correspondence, and ministerial files that inform the history of Swedish public communication and press.

Access

The archives are open to the public for in-person research. Customer service is available Monday–Friday 09:00–16:00. Digitised records and databases are freely available online through the Riksarkivet website.