Organization
The Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen has existed since 2004 as the central institution of the state archive administration in North Rhine-Westphalia. The state archive is based in Duisburg. The Landesarchiv NRW maintains three regional departments at the locations
- Duisburg (Rhineland department)
- Münster (Westphalia department)
- Detmold (East Westphalia-Lippe department)
The regional departments of the Landesarchiv are the direct contacts for users and authorities. They are supported in their work by a central department and the Department of Principles.
Legal bases
The Landesarchiv works on the legal basis of the Archive Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia:
- Archive Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (↗)
- Archive Usage and Fee Regulations of North Rhine-Westphalia (↗)
- Reading room regulations of the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Submission of documents to the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia (↗)
- Organisation of the civil status archives (↗)
The Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen was founded by merging the previous state archives of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the basis of the establishment decree of 14.11.2003.
It is headed by its President Dr. Frank M. Bischoff and currently has 225 employees (as at 31.12.2022). The business of the Landesarchiv is managed under the joint responsibility of the Executive Board. The management consists of: the President (Chair), the head of the Central Services department and a decentralized head of department, who rotates annually; the order of rotation is determined by the supervisory authority.
The Landesarchiv reports to the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, which exercises official and technical supervision over the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen. The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the technical supervision of civil status matters in the civil status archives.
Find out more about the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen in this video.
Strategy and vision
The Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen is the state's memory. As a service provider for the public, administration and science, we guarantee the permanent preservation of trustworthy and unique information.
We offer access to authentic sources through the continuous development of innovative technologies. We are a visible partner in a networked knowledge society and strengthen democracy and the rule of law.
Highly qualified and motivated, we live a pioneering spirit and enthusiasm for archives and history - analogue and digital.
The President
The President is the head of the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen. He bears overall responsibility for the Landesarchiv. He represents it externally and is therefore responsible for its strategic direction and specialist archival tasks.
Central services
The Central Services Department of the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen bundles all cross-sectional tasks that are necessary for the functioning of the overall organization:
- Organization
- budget
- Central procurement office
- legal department
- personnel matters
- Training and further education
Information technology
The department sees itself as a service provider. Its services are aimed at both employees of the Landesarchiv and external parties, such as job applicants and suppliers.
The focus of the organization task is the continuous adaptation of structures and processes in order to ensure modern and innovative administrative action.
The department also deals with budgetary tasks. Planning, implementation and management of the budget as well as the processing of federal and state allocations for archive-related investment projects are the main focus here. The Central Procurement Office for the Landesarchiv has the task of advising the specialist departments on upcoming procurement procedures and carrying out procurement procedures at national and EU-wide level. This ensures cost-effective procurement.
The legal department's tasks include providing preventative legal advice to the department management and representing them in legal disputes with third parties.
The tasks of Human Resources range from recruitment and support through to departure. The focus is on the employees and their needs. The department is also responsible for recruiting and supervising trainees for the profession of media and information services specialist as well as candidates and trainee archivists for the higher and higher archive service. The supervision and coordination of further and advanced training for members of the Landesarchiv serves the development and ongoing qualification of staff.
Information technology is essential to ensure the efficient and effective completion of tasks in the Landesarchiv. In addition to IT operations, the fields of activity include application development, IT security and IT networks.
Head of department
Holger Kowoll holger.kowoll[at]lav.nrw.de
Principles department
The Principles Department is responsible for the development of archival concepts and strategies as well as for fundamental technical issues of the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen, in particular on the following specialist topics:
- Evaluation and creation of the transmission of analog and digital documents of official and non-official origin
- Digital archiving of genuinely electronic documents, including the technical infrastructure and support for authorities in the run-up to the provision of electronic documents
- Advice for authorities, for example on the introduction of electronic files or specialist procedures
- Standards for indexing and provision for use
- Further development and technical support of archive information systems
- Subject-related law
- Conservation and restoration, in particular regulation of treatment procedures and methods in restoration and conservation
- Digitization and federal backup filming, including management of projects for the digitization of analogue archive material
Emergency preparedness
Head of department
Dr. Bettina Joergens bettina.joergens[at]lav.nrw.de
East Westphalia-Lippe Division
The East Westphalia-Lippe Department of the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfaken is the central point of contact for historical research in the East Westphalia-Lippe region and for genealogy throughout Westphalia and Lippe.
Head of department
Dr. Johannes Burkardt johannes.burkardt[at]lav.nrw.de
Rhineland Division
The Rhineland Department holds the documents and files of the former territories and dominions as well as the monasteries and convents of the northern part of the Prussian Rhine Province. It also took on the files of the middle and lower authorities of this district. Since 1952, it has also been responsible for the ministries and higher authorities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which was founded in 1946, and actively documents the history of the state.
Head of department
Dr. Matthias Meusch matthias.meusch[at]lav.nrw.de
Westphalia Division
The Westphalia department of the Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen preserves documents covering twelve centuries of Westphalian history, making it a central point of contact for historical research and interested citizens of the region.
Head of department
Dr. Mechthild Black-Veldtrup mechthild.black-veldtrup[at]lav.nrw.de
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