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Using archives

The National Archives in Krakow, just like other archives from the network of the State Archives, provides access to stored materials based on the Law of 14 July 1983 concerning the national archival resources and archives.

In accordance with it, each person is allowed to access archival materials. This access may, however, be limited due to security reasons:

  • confidential and statutory-protected information,
  • private wealth and personal data,
  • the necessity to maintain the integrity of resources, in other words, due to conservation matters.

In addition, the regulatory bodies introduced the requirement that the following types of documentation may be accessed no earlier than:

  • civil records – 100 years from the closure of the register of births, 80 years for the registers of marriages and deaths,
  • individual medical records – 100 years from the last entry,
  • notarial records and property ownership documentation – 70 years from the last entry,
  • court records and investigation proceedings – 70 years from the judgement or end of the process,
  • census – 30 years from its creation,
  • employment documentation – 50 years from the cessation of the employment relation.

These restrictions are not applicable if the interested party can present the legal right to access this documentation. Such a procedure is written, in other words, it requires an application form to be submitted together with documentation confirming the legal right.