Inquiries

This section of the Austrian State Archives website offers an overview of additional services provided by our institution.

The Register of Archives (Archivregister) is a statutorily prescribed tool designed to give you an overview of the Austrian archive community. An extensive Collection of links (in German), organised by subject, provides useful online resources. Please also refer to the headings "Tips for researchers" in the individual departments, wherever available.

Response to inquiries in writing

As far as possible, the departments of the Austrian State Archives will respond to written inquiries and inform you about any holdings that contain – or may contain – relevant material.

General guidance concerning “the type, scope, state and usability of the archival units required“ (Benutzungsordnung Punkt IX, 3) is free of charge.

Although we live in the age of digitalisation and online databases, archival records are normally used by personal access (Bundesarchivgesetz § 9 [5]).

Research subject to a charge by employees of the Austrian State Archives

In addition to providing archive- and record-related basic information, the departments of the Austrian State Archives also do specific research for content in their holdings if their regular workload allows for this.

Research work of this kind mainly concerns person-related research (family research) and covers related archival records (personal files, personnel files or person-related current records).

For searches to be targeted, basic data concerning the person or subject matter on hand are required.

Research work by employees of the Austrian State Archives are subject to a charge. The handling fee amounts to 45 Euro per half hour begun.

Your request for research should be sent to the Austrian State Archives by post, fax or email or may be handed in personally in the reading room; the archive department in charge will then process it.

For communicating the basis information which you already have at your disposal, please use the following application forms:

You will then receive an "Offer to do research" including a cost estimate based on the expected time to be expended.

Please note that you are obliged to pay the charge even if the outcome of your research commission is negative or does not live up to your expectations.

Research by third parties

For further extensive research you are not able or willing to do on your own, you may want to use the services of free-lance genealogists or historians. They can do research in Vienna's archives and libraries on your behalf for a fee.

Guided tours through the Austrian State Archives

Guided tours are a significant part of public relations at the Austrian State Archives; they are the perfect way of "looking behind the scenes" in various locations.

A tour offers insights into the history of the institution and its locations, into research work, the stacks area which is not normally accessible, and the restoration workshop.

Guided tours are subject to a charge (per person: 5 euro; Groups of less than 10 persons: 50 euro) and require at least 14 days advance notice.

Please contact:
Austrian State Archives
Nottendorfer Gasse 2
1030 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 795 40-640115
Email: oesta@oesta.gv.at

Collection of links

This menu items offers a selection of useful links to other websites focusing on archival sciences and historical studies.

We are interested in extending our collection of links; information on useful Internet addresses is welcome.

For work with Internet resources, see Eder, Franz X. et al. (ed.): Geschichte online. Einführung in das wissenschaftliche Arbeiten. Vienna/Cologne/Weimar 2006.

Collection of links (in German)