The National Archives of the Netherlands

The National Archives of the Netherlands (Nationaal Archief), which is situated in The Hague, holds over 3.5 million records created by the central government, organisations and individuals that have been of national significance.

Many records relate to the colonial and trading history of the Netherlands in the period from 1600 to 1975. The Dutch presence in countries in North and South America, Africa and Asia is reflected within these collections.

The goals of the National Archives within the Shared Cultural Heritage programme are:

• Expanding the National Archives’ international cooperation to stimulate international and interdisciplinary (historical) research.
• Improving and enlarging the accessibility of Shared Cultural Heritage archives by digitisation and online publication of relevant collections from the Netherlands and the partner countries.
• The digitisation of the Shared Cultural Heritage archives also increases visibility and awareness of shared heritage/history, which is further underpinned by the National Archives’ national and international public programmes.
• The National Archives also advises and supports Dutch and international heritage professionals and organisations in the field of restoration, conservation and digitisation of their (Shared Cultural Heritage) archives.

Contact
For any questions related to Shared Cultural Heritage and the National Archives of the Netherlands, you may contact Johan van Langen (mail) or Lidwien Jansen (mail).