General Directorate of Archives Albania (Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Arkivave)

Overview

The General Directorate of Archives (Albanian: Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Arkivave; DPA) is the national archival authority of the Republic of Albania, located in Tirana. It oversees the Central State Archive (Arkivi Qendror Shtetëror; AQSH) and a network of district archives throughout the country, and is responsible for the collection, preservation, management, and provision of access to Albania's national documentary heritage.

History and Founding

Efforts to establish a centralized archive in Albania date to the 1930s. The State Archives were formally declared an independent institution by Council of Ministers Order No. 21 on 8 June 1949, making 1949 the effective founding year of the national archives. In 1951 the archives were placed under the Ministry of Interior Affairs, remaining there until 1962, when the General Directorate of State Archives was established as a body directly subordinate to the Council of Ministers. The Albanian Parliament passed the first archival law in 1984 and a post-communist revision in 1994. Following the fall of the communist regime, the archives were partly looted and collections fell into disrepair. A modernization program carried out with the support of the Swiss Federal Archives was completed in 2004, bringing the institution to international archival standards. In 2003 a new archives law (Law No. 9154) was enacted, providing the current legal framework.

Collections and Holdings

The directorate houses the records of the former People's Socialist Republic of Albania and the Party of Labour of Albania, as well as documents held by citizens prior to the communist era. Notable holdings include the Codex Beratinus and the Codex Beratinus II (illuminated Byzantine manuscripts). The private archives collected by the DPA include records of Albanian organizations operating abroad, national exhibition materials, and the archives of aid agencies. Deeds, contracts, and property records expropriated by the Party of Labour are also held. The archives receives approximately 25,000 public requests annually, and around 100 academics and students visit the facility each year for research purposes.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The archives hold party and state records that include materials on press censorship and state media administration during the communist period, as well as records from the post-1991 democratic transition.

Access and Usage

The archives are open to the public, including citizens, researchers, lawyers, and journalists. In 2011 the Albanian National Archives became a partner of the World Digital Library. Opening hours are Monday through Friday, 08:00–16:30.