We start in the Middle Ages, when the falsification of donations was used by religious institutions to retain or acquire new possessions. In this document held at the Archivo Histórico Nacional, and supposedly from the year 570 aD, Alaric donates to Ariol, the abbot of San Julián de Navasal, the towns of Nové and Ardanés with all their possessions, boundaries, and rights, the dwelling of Araniella, and one shift of a day and its night per week in a salt mine located in the town of Salinas.
Very generous; however, different authors consider this document to be one of the crudest forgeries known: the mention of an unknown King Alaric in the second half of the 6th century, making him contemporary with Count Galindo, who held Atarés; or the allusion to Muslims who ruled in Tudela and Huesca, almost 150 years before they set foot on the Peninsula!
Archivo Histórico Nacional, Donation of Alaric to Ariol, the abbot of San Julián de Navasal, 570, available here
Almost four centuries later, here is what was believed to be the oldest document held in the Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza (Historical Archive of the Nobility), dated 26th December 943. The deed states that Count Assur Fernández and his wife, Countess Gontroda, made a donation pro anima to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos) and its abbot, Cipriano, leaving him the territory of Fuente Adrada, in the jurisdiction of Sacramenia, north of Segovia. If it were indeed the original donation deed, it would have been a noteworthy discovery because it was copied in the Gothic Cartulary of Cardeña, and all the original documents copied in this cartulary, dated around the year 1086, are considered lost. However, a study by the Spanish National Research Council and University of Burgos has demonstrates that the document is actually a forgery from the 12th century. You can find more information and the full transcription of the document at this link.
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Donation of Count Assur Fernández and his wife Countess Gontroda to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos), 953, avalaible here.
In parallel with the forgeries, counter-fogeries departments developed in the administrations. Remaining with the Spanish case, this 1340 document from the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón is a statement given by Pedro el Ceremonioso to Blas Jiménez de Ayerbe, notary from Huesca, that reassures him of the authenticity about certain documents.
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Statement given by Pedro el Ceremonioso to Blas Jiménez de Ayerbe that reassures him of the authenticity about certain documents, available here
Always in Spain, the Royal Chancellery of the Kings of Castile had a dedicated office for forgery investigation: this is a petition dated 1491, by Íñigo de Avío, to the magistrate of Vizcaya, who shall provide oversight regarding certain forgeries committed by certain notaries of Durango, for which the man had suffered severe damages.
Archivo General de Simancas, Forgeries committed by certain notaries of Durango, 1491, available here
In the realm of historical fakes, the one involving relics is a universe unto itself - relics are typically pieces of the bodies of saints, fragments of their clothing, or objects associated with them. They were - and are to these days - considered sacred, and are venerated by believers for their connection to the saint's life or miraculous events. Relics are believed to possess healing powers, or the ability to grant divine favour. Pilgrims travelled (and travel) great distances to visit and venerate them. Naturally, relics also became the object of an entire market of fake objects, sold around or passed off as real in order to improve the power and visibility of a religious congregation; as poet François Mauriac used to say, “with all the original fragments of the cross of Christ that are currently in churches, one could build a ship.” This wood reliquary from the Monastery of La Magdalena, possibly from the 16th-17th century, containing the relics of several saints. In the center, there is a photocopy of a simulated autograph of Saint Teresa of Jesus, dated 1515. Due to the sanctity of Teresa of Jesus, it was a matter of pride for convents and monasteries to possess relics associated with her. In this instance, a counterfeit document was created, mimicking her handwriting.
And again about curious relics and whether they are "real" or not: this is a letter from 1587, describing a series of actions for concessions of Isabel de Hiusen and Catalina de Lizenberg, mothers of the Order of San Francisco, to Manuel Vega Cabeza de Vaca, captain of the Spanish infantry, governor, and envoy of the king of Spain in Germany. The message thanks the governor for his generosity towards their Order, which is compensated with a 30-day period of prayer, fasting, and other spiritual exercises.
Furthermore, the governor was given "a small case in which is fixed a figure of the cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ, health of the world, was hung, from the same place where he was arrested and buried, where he wept for the innocent, not for Mary Magdalene, and then over Jerusalem and Mount Zion with a solicitous soul and great reverence. A treasure that we brought embracing anguish and danger." The case was supposed to preserve the relic of an innocent child slaughtered by Herod.
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Concessions of Isabel de Hiusen and Catalina de Lizenberg, mothers of
the Order of San Francisco, to Manuel Vega Cabeza de Vaca, captain of
the Spanish infantry, governor, and envoy of the king of Spain in
Germany, avalaible
here
These are four certificates of authenticity from Rome, for various relics (pieces of wood from the cross of Christ), between 1560 and 1790.
Despite the drastic law in the medieval Romanian Countries, where the forgery of documents was punished even by death penalty, the desire for wealth led to this kind of practice, regardless of the consequences. One example comes from the National Archives of Romania, which became famous on the national level due to the reputation of the well-known issuer, Mihai Viteazul, the first Romanian ruler able to unite all the three larger Romanian regions, in 1600, for a short period of time.
National Archives of Romania ref. BU-F-01472-438
By this document dated September 27, 1597, Mihai Viteazul gives his mother Tudora (named Teodora after she became a nun) few villages in Oltenia (a historical region in South West Romania), to benefit from them as long as she lives and, after her death, the villages shall pass to his illegitimate daughter – Marula. After Mihai Viteazul’s mother’s death, Marula took the legitime daughter – Florica, who inherited the proprieties of her grandmother according the law – to trial before ruler Alexandru Ilaș, in 1616, bringing this specific document as a proof of her rights. After the investigation was done (even Marula’s mother, the potential former wife of the ruler Mihai Viteazul was interrogated), the ruler decided that „Marula was trying to deceive with this false document”.
National Archives of Romania, Collection Historical section, ref.BU-FD-00684-1618_0001
The document has raised great interest among historians and many hypotheses regarding its authenticity have been issued. After a long debate (almost a hundred years, starting mid19th Century till mid20th Century), after analyzing all the data related to the content, the writing (letters) of the document, the UV rays test and Wood filter (conducted in 1940), making references to other later documents related to that properties, the conclusion of the 20th Century experts was that the document is a forged one and the original text was changed, by scrapping the parchment where the name of the real beneficiary (Florica) was, and replaced by the name of the usurper: Marula.
Some extreme conclusions led to the belief that, in fact,
Marula is not even the daughter of the great Romanian ruler, Mihai
Viteazul!
National Archives of Romania, ref. BU-FD-00684-1618_0001
Sex, politics, religion, and powerful women – the perfect cocktail for fake news, and not only in our time. The MNL Országos Levéltárában uncovered the story of Erzsébet Báthory, a noble woman from one of the most influential families in the kingdom of Hungary at the end of the 16th century. Erzsébet, widow of Ferenc Nádasdy, one of the richest and most influencial person in the country at the time, had converted to the Reformed faith for her husband's sake; as a widow, she protected her estate by fighting against the other magnates of the era, who tried to seize her estate. Rumors started to spread that she had her inner servants kidnapping and killing maidservants and noble girls, in order to use theri blood to beautify herself; eventually, an investigation officially opened in 1610 and was closed in 1611, involving a total of 317 witnesses, from many areas of the kingdom. Initially, the local witnesses knew of only one or two disciplined servants; but the number of girls allegedly lost in the "bloodbath" increased gradually, with some witnesses claiming that up to 650 girls had been killed. The charges also included torturing and tormenting servants with pliers, freezing them in cold water in winter, and scarring them with hot iron.
Minutes of the investigation ordered and conducted by Palatine György Thurzó (excerpt) Reference: MNL OL, Treasury Archives, Archives of the Hungarian Chamber, Acta Publica (E 142), Fasc. 28. No. 19.
The minutes of the hearings, however, arouse suspicion in the careful reader in many respects. Firstly, most witnesses only knew data from hearsay, and those who reported specific facts could say no more than that there had been deaths, and some servants had indeed been disciplined. None of the relatives of the allegedly missing girls came forward, either. The investigation was thus essentially unsuccessful; still, the directly accused individuals, the peasants helpers, confessed everything under torture and were executed. Erzsébet Báthory was confined to her castle in Csejte, where she was held until her death (August 20-21, 1614).
Moving towards the 19th century, these documents from the Ministerio de Ultramar and from the Secretariat of State and War Office show Spain struggling with propaganda in its colonies:
the "Continuous harassment by the English on the coast of Cumaná; introduction of subversive propaganda and exploitation of two convicts involved in the conspiracy"
The Chargé d'Affaires of Spain in Caracas reports on the measures taken to prevent false news published in a newspaper by Don Fausto Teodoro Aldrey:
available here
And a report from the governor of Puerto Rico about the "subversive propaganda given to passengers coming from Santo Domingo with the aim of inciting the black slaves of Cuba and Puerto Rico", which really shows that what is one century's "propaganda" ia another century's fight for human rights.
And then comes the long Twentieth Century, the age of ideologies.
The “problem” of the propaganda of anarchist ideas, that has begun to infiltrate the working masses, in Puerto Rico through the newspaper titled El Essayo Obrero
Arquivo Historico Nacional, The “problem” of the propaganda of anarchist ideas in Puertorico, available here
And the propaganda meeting of the Socialist League in London, 22 October 1889. Only a few years after, the problem of Italian Fascist propaganda in Spain in the 1920s: Fascist propaganda in Catalonia and Spain.
As in the case of Erzsébet Báthory, and thousands other throughout history, accusations and trials were the best way to get rid of influential, potentially dangerous people. These are the papers of the trial of Ukranian general Yurko Tyutyunnik, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian People's Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Ukrainian–Soviet War (1917-1921). Defeated, he illegally settled in Lviv, which was then part of the Second Polish Republic. In 1923, he was called to return to Soviet Ukraine and the Soviet government invited him to work cooperatively. He agreed, lecturing at the School of Red Commanders in Kharkiv; however, when later Joseph Stalin ordered a reversal of Ukrainization policies in Soviet Ukraine and many Ukrainians became victims of political repression by the Stalinist regime, he was found guilty of anti-Soviet agitation and sentenced to death. On 20 October 1930, he was executed by firing squad in the Lubyanka, Moscow.
The information sheet of the accused, containing personal data of Yurko Tyutyunnik (date and place of birth, education, work, marital status), articles of accusation
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), both sides disseminated drawings and figures of soldiers aimed at children. This propaganda aimed at children included:
Children's booklets (“Soldiers of Tomorrow”) with 8 cardboard sheets printed in color featuring cut-outs of child soldiers from different factions, characterized as Falangists, Carlists, and Nationalists.” Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here.
A collection of cut-out figures of members of the Cuerpo de Sanidad republicanos (Republican Health Corps). Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here
Cut-out figures of soldiers in Falangist uniforms. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here
Cut-out sheet for paper ribbons. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here
And colouring pages. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here
And a cut-out figure of a militiaman from the Fifth Regiment. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here
And now for something completely different, the minutes of the conference "Science, Education, and Art" organised in 1956 by the Committees for Propaganda and Agitation of the Bulgarian Communist Party, on the topic of the party's work in the fields of science, education, art, and culture."
And the minutes from the meeting of the Department 'For Work with National Minorities' of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party with the secretaries and heads of departments of the district committees of the party, the Fatherland Front, and the Komsomol overseeing propaganda and agitation work, held on March 26, 1960, to discuss the state and tasks of atheistic propaganda among the Turkish population
Last but not least, we end our journey into fake news and propaganda with one of the most recent dictatorships in Europe, the military junta installed between 1968 and 1974 in Greece. The Central State Archives of Greece host the entire archive of the censorship department of the junta, and you can read a full article about it here.
These are pages from the famous theatrical play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett, reviewed by the censorship committee in January 1969:
 |  |
The license to shoot and release the film "Astrapogiannos" with scene and dialogue cuts. October 1970. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information.
 |  |
Screening license of the film "Athens After Midnight" with scene cuts featuring the composer Mikis Theodorakis. March 1968. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information.
The Rejection by the censorship committee of the song "Hasapiko" with the reasoning that its lyrics could be interpreted as anarchic. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information.:
Control sheet of the film "The Daughter of Zorro. I will avenge twice" with the phrase "The Americans are conquerors" cut. December 1967.
Section of the proclamation of the General Staff of the Army prohibiting the distribution and circulation of books, magazines, and newspapers as communist and dangerous for youth. June 1967. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information.
 |  |  |
Archivo Histórico Nacional, Donation of Alaric to Ariol, the abbot of San Julián de Navasal, 570, available here
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Donation of Count Assur Fernández and his wife Countess Gontroda to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos), 953, avalaible here
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Statement given by Pedro el Ceremonioso to Blas Jiménez de Ayerbe that reassures him of the authenticity about certain documents, available here
Archivo General de Simancas, Forgeries committed by certain notaries of Durango, 1491, available here
Archivo Histórico Nacional, wood reliquary from the Monastery of La Magdalena, XVI-XVIIth century, available here
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Concessions of Isabel de Hiusen and Catalina de Lizenberg, mothers of
the Order of San Francisco, to Manuel Vega Cabeza de Vaca, captain of
the Spanish infantry, governor, and envoy of the king of Spain in
Germany, avalaible here
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Certificates of authenticity from Rome, for various relics, avalaible here
Minutes of the investigation ordered and conducted by Palatine György Thurzó (excerpt) Reference: MNL OL, Treasury Archives, Archives of the Hungarian Chamber, Acta Publica (E 142), Fasc. 28. No. 19.
Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, Children's booklets (“Soldiers of Tomorrow”) with 8 cardboard sheets printed in color featuring cut-outs of child soldiers from different factions, characterized as Falangists, Carlists, and Nationalists, link here.
|
|
|
|
|
Archivo Histórico Nacional, Donation of Alaric to Ariol, the abbot of San Julián de Navasal, 570, available here |
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Donation of Count Assur Fernández and his wife Countess Gontroda to the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos), 953, avalaible here |
Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, Statement given by Pedro el Ceremonioso to Blas Jiménez de Ayerbe that reassures him of the authenticity about certain documents, available here |
Archivo General de Simancas, Forgeries committed by certain notaries of Durango, 1491, available here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Archivo Histórico Nacional, Wood reliquary from the Monastery of La Magdalena, XVI-XVIIth century, available here | Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Concessions of Isabel de Hiusen and Catalina de Lizenberg, mothers of the Order of San Francisco, to Manuel Vega Cabeza de Vaca, captain of the Spanish infantry, governor, and envoy of the king of Spain in Germany, avalaible here |
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Certificates of authenticity from Rome, for various relics, avalaible here | Archivo General de Simancas, Continuous harassment by the English on the coast of Cumaná, available here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Archivo Histórico Nacional, The Chargé d'Affaires of Spain in Caracas reports on the measures taken to prevent false news published in a newspaper by Don Fausto Teodoro Aldrey, available here |
Archivo Histórico Nacional, Report from the governor of Puerto Rico about the "subversive propaganda given to passengers coming from Santo Domingo with the aim of inciting the black slaves of Cuba and Puerto Rico", available here | Archivo Histórico Nacional, The “problem” of the propaganda of anarchist ideas in Puertorico, available here |
Center for Research on the Liberation Movement, The information sheet
of the accused Yurko Tyutyunnik, 1929, available here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Center for Research on the Liberation Movement, Questionnaire of the arrested Yurii Yosypovych Tyutyunnik dated March 2, 1929, available here | Centro Documental de la Memoria historìca, Children's booklets (“Soldiers of Tomorrow”), available here | Centro Documental de la Memoria historìca, A collection of cut-out figures of members of the Cuerpo de Sanidad republicanos (Republican Health Corps), available here |
Centro Documental de la Memoria historìca, Cut-out figures of soldiers in Falangist uniforms. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Cut-out sheet for paper ribbons. Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, link here |
Centro Documental de la Memoria historìca, Colouring pages, link here |
Centro Documental de la Memoria historìca, Cut-out figure of a militiaman from the Fifth Regiment, link here |
Central State Archives of Bulgaria, Minutes of the conference "Science, Education, and Art" organised in 1956 by the Committees for Propaganda and Agitation of the Bulgarian Communist Party, available here |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Central State Archives of Bulgaria, Minutes from the meeting of the Department 'For Work with National Minorities' of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, March 26, 1960, available here | Pages of the text of the theatrical play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett that were reviewed by the censorship committee in January 1969. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Σελίδες του κειμένου της θεατρικής παράστασης «Περιμένοντας τον Γκοντό» του Σάμουελ Μπέκετ που ελέγχθηκαν από την επιτροπή λογοκρισίας τον Ιανουάριο του 1969. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριώ. | Pages of the text of the theatrical play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett that were reviewed by the censorship committee in January 1969. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Σελίδες του κειμένου της θεατρικής παράστασης «Περιμένοντας τον Γκοντό» του Σάμουελ Μπέκετ που ελέγχθηκαν από την επιτροπή λογοκρισίας τον Ιανουάριο του 1969. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριώ. | Screening license of the film "Astrapogiannos" with scene and dialogue cuts. October 1970. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Άδεια προβολής της κινηματογραφικής ταινίας «Αστραπόγιαννος» με περικοπές σκηνών και διαλόγων. Οκτώβριος 1970. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Screening license of the film "Astrapogiannos" with scene and dialogue cuts. October 1970. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Άδεια προβολής της κινηματογραφικής ταινίας «Αστραπόγιαννος» με περικοπές σκηνών και διαλόγων. Οκτώβριος 1970. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών | Screening license of the film "Athens After Midnight" with scene cuts featuring the composer Mikis Theodorakis. March 1968. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Άδεια προβολής της κινηματογραφικής ταινίας «Η Αθήνα μετά τα μεσάνυχτα» με περικοπές σκηνών όπου εμφανίζεται ο μουσικοσυνθέτης Μίκης Θεοδωράκης. Μάρτιος 1968. |
Rejection by the censorship committee of the song "Hasapiko" with the reasoning that its lyrics could be interpreted as anarchic. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Απόρριψη από την επιτροπή λογοκρισίας του τραγουδιού «Χασάπικο» με την αιτιολογία ότι οι στίχοι του μπορεί να ερμηνευτούν ως αναρχικοί. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών. | Control sheet of the film "The Daughter of Zorro. I will avenge twice" with the phrase "The Americans are conquerors" cut. December 1967. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Δελτίο ελέγχου της κινηματογραφικής ταινίας «Η κόρη του Ζορό. Θα εκδικηθώ δύο φορές» με περικοπή της φράσης «Οι Αμερικανοί είναι κατακτητές». Δεκέμβριος 1967. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Section of the proclamation of the General Staff of the Army prohibiting the distribution and circulation of books, magazines, and newspapers as communist and dangerous for youth. June 1967. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Τμήμα της προκήρυξης του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού με την οποία απαγορεύεται η διάθεση και κυκλοφορία βιβλίων, περιοδικών και εφημερίδων ως κομμουνιστικών και επικίνδυνων για τη νεολαία. Ιούνιος 1967. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών |
Section of the proclamation of the General Staff of the Army prohibiting the distribution and circulation of books, magazines, and newspapers as communist and dangerous for youth. June 1967. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Τμήμα της προκήρυξης του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού με την οποία απαγορεύεται η διάθεση και κυκλοφορία βιβλίων, περιοδικών και εφημερίδων ως κομμουνιστικών και επικίνδυνων για τη νεολαία. Ιούνιος 1967. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών |
Section of the proclamation of the General Staff of the Army prohibiting the distribution and circulation of books, magazines, and newspapers as communist and dangerous for youth. June 1967. General State Archives of Greece, Central Service, Archive of the General Secretariat of Press and Information. Τμήμα της προκήρυξης του Γενικού Επιτελείου Στρατού με την οποία απαγορεύεται η διάθεση και κυκλοφορία βιβλίων, περιοδικών και εφημερίδων ως κομμουνιστικών και επικίνδυνων για τη νεολαία. Ιούνιος 1967. Γενικά Αρχεία του Κράτους της Ελλάδας, Κεντρική Υπηρεσία, Αρχείο Γενικής Γραμματείας Τύπου και Πληροφοριών |
Feedback is sent directly to the institution holding this material and should preferably be submitted in English or in the language of the institution, if possible. The institution will aim at getting back to you as soon as possible to help you with your request, though you might need to allow between two and four weeks for this depending on the current workload at the institution.
Please select amongst the relevant tips we can help with. If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
Starting your search here will include all content available in Archives Portal Europe. Simply enter your keyword(s) and hit the search button. Wrap fixed expressions in quotation marks, e.g. “French Revolution”. Check the box to “Search each term separately” in case you are looking for documents containing at least one word, but not necessarily all keywords; this will also allow you to search for the same term in multiple languages at the same time (e.g. “French Revolution” “Révolution Française”). You can also use wildcards - find more about Research Tools here. If you would like to use more specific settings, try our Advanced search
The additional advanced search options give you the possibility to focus your search in:
When searching with multiple terms at the same time, wrap fixed expressions in quotation marks (e.g. "French Revolution"), or check the box "Search each term separately" in case you are looking for either one term of the other. This will also allow you to search for the same term in multiple languages (e.g. "French Revolution" "Révolution française"). You can also choose one of the suggestions matching your search term once you start typing.
This will only show results that include documents that have been digitised and are available online
Use this option to search only one or more keywords, rather than all of them
Select where your search terms should appear specifically inside the archival description:
You can filter results by selecting where your search terms appears specifically inside the archival description:
You can filter results by selecting where your search terms appears specifically inside the description of the archive:
Please note that this filter will only include institutions, for which a type has been provided as part of their descriptions:
Enter a start and/or end date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, i.e. 01-01-1900 for 1 January 1900. This will allow you to focus your search on a specific period of time. You can use the calendar function or type directly in the text field. The checkbox "Exact date search" concentrates the search on one specific date.
Check "View in context" to view the results in the hierarchical structure of archives.
For more details see Research Tools
Please sign in to save your searches.
A holdings guide is an overview of the collections and fonds of one archival institution.
A finding aid is a structured description of archival materials per collection or fonds up to item level.
You can filter results by selecting one or more countries of interest. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by one or more holding archival institutions. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can select to view results from a specific Finding Aid, i.e., a structured description of archival materials per collection or fonds up to item level. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter by type of descriptive document:
You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by selecting "Fonds description" for a general overview or "Other descriptions" for item level. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter
selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results
matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by selecting only those containing digital objects, i.e. the link to the digitised version of the archival material you are looking for. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by type of digital object you are interested in:
You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your filter selection will appear above. Click "Clear filters" to see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers)
Please note that not all documents contain a machine-readable date. More information here
You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers). This filter will only include materials with "Full dates", i.e. those that include date information available for date-based searches. You can either search for a specific date of interest or focus step by step on the time span of a century, decade, year or month. When searching for a specific date, enter the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, i.e. 01/01/1900 for 1 January 1900, via the calendar function or by typing directly in the text field.
This filter concentrates on the earliest dates mentioned in the materials.
You can filter results based on the date of creation of the archival material (which may differ from the time period you are interested in - e.g., philosophers from the Enlightenment period reflecting on classic thinkers). This filter will only include materials with "Full dates", i.e. those that include date information available for date-based searches. You can either search for a specific date of interest or focus step by step on the time span of a century, decade, year or month. When searching for a specific date, enter the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY, i.e. 01/01/1900 for 1 January 1900, via the calendar function or by typing directly in the text field.
This filter concentrates on the latest dates mentioned in the materials.
You can filter results based on the language in which the material is written. Please note that this filter will only include materials where specific language information has been provided by the institution and is therefore in a machine-readable format. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by selecting one or more topics of interest. Please note that this filter will only include materials where the topic has been assigned and is therefore in a machine-readable format. Read how to assign a topic to documents on the Topics page. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by selecting where your search terms appears specifically inside the archival description:
You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results by type of entities:
You can filter results based on the language in which the material is written. Please note that this filter will only include materials where specific language information has been provided by the institution and is therefore in a machine-readable format. You can also combine this filter with other filters. Your selection will then be displayed above the search results (see "Search filters"). Clicking "Clear filters" will remove your selection and you will see all results matching your initial search request again.
You can filter results based on the type of holding institution. Please note that this filter will only include institutions, for which a type has been provided as part of their descriptions.
Write your message in your own language and use this drop-down menu to have your message translated into English or in the language of the institution for a swifter response. By checking this box and selecting a language you will send your original message along with the translated version
What kind of suggestion would you like to make?
This is a test area to fill out all the copyright details for Attribution Creative Commons Licence
This object is not or no longer protected by copyright and has been labelled with the Public Domain Mark. It can be used by anyone without any restrictions.
This object is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication. All possible existing rights in the content are waived, and the object can be used by anyone without any restrictions.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution (BY) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object, even
commercially, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described
in the licence.
This is a test area to fill out all the copyright details for Attribution Creative Commons Share Alike Licence
This is a test area to fill out all the copyright details for NoDerivs
This is a test area to fill out all the copyright details for NonCommercial
This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.
This object has been
identified as an Orphan Work in the country of first publication and in
line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive
2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October
2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.
You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.
This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.
This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.
The copyright status of this object has not been evaluated yet. Please contact the providing institution for more information.
You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the
copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy, or moral rights.
This object is currently in copyright and the rights holder(s) have allowed re-use for educational purposes only. You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.
Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for any other uses.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak and build upon the licensed object, even for commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak and build upon the licensed object, even for commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, No Derivates (BY-ND) licence. You can copy and redistribute the object, even
commercially, as long as no alteration is made to the object and you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.
If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial (BY-NC) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object for non-commercial use only and as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, ShareAlike (BY-NC-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object for non-commercial use only, as long as you attribute the rights
holder as described in
the licence, and as long as you license your adaptations of the object under the same
terms.
This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivates (BY-NC-ND) licence. You can copy and redistribute the object for non-commercial use only, as long as no alteration is made to the object and as long as you attribute the rights
holder as described in
the licence.
If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.
This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.
This object has been
identified as an Orphan Work in the country of first publication and in
line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive
2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October
2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.
You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.
This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.
This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.
The copyright status of this object has not been evaluated yet. Please contact the providing institution for more information.
You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the
copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy, or moral rights.
This object is currently in copyright and the rights holder(s) have allowed re-use for educational purposes only. You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.
Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for any other uses.