The historical archive is the central archive for the entire central bank system. Its task is to safeguard, evaluate and network all documents from the former Bank deutscher Länder and the Deutsche Bundesbank (Central Office, Regional Offices and branches) to make them available for use.

Contents and search tools

In the central archive, official correspondence, unpublished works, collections and audio-visual material occupy some 6,500 running metres of shelf space. This material goes back to the founding of the West German central bank system in 1948; documents on the former Reichsbank have been transferred to the Bundesarchiv (Federal Archive) in Berlin.
The contents of the historical archive can be found and researched using various search tools (descriptive lists, catalogues and issuing lists). The lists and administration data have been computerised and can be accessed in various ways. Minutes of the meetings of the Central Bank Council/Executive Board can also be researched using the online tools.

Use

External users may consult the central archive provided they agree to the rules and embargoes laid down by the Federal Archives Act.

Users must register before they consult the archive. The historical archive is located in the security area at Central Office. Visitors can only enter by producing identification at the main entrance to the Bundesbank site.