Intrigued by the past? Here, before the Stadtarchiv Freiburg, lies a treasure trove of history. The Stadtarchiv is the city’s memory. It safeguards documents and records illuminating Freiburg’s rich past.
Founded in 1855, the Stadtarchiv collects documents relating to the history of Freiburg. It also holds the files of the city and its administration. Originally, city documents were kept in a chest. This chest moved between the homes of the Schultheiß and later the Mayor. Even decades after Freiburg’s first Rathaus was mentioned in 1303, valuable documents were stored this way.
Around 1414, the city decided to store important documents in the Hahnentürme of the Freiburg Minster. This included imperial and ducal letters of grace. It also included alliance agreements and treaties. This separation marked the beginning of modern archival work, even if it wasn’t called that yet.
In 1551, the city built a structure with a large council chamber. The ground floor housed the Gerichtslaube. A Ratshofarchiv was built as a western extension to relieve the Ratskanzlei. This consisted of two vaulted rooms.
Over time, the Stadtarchiv faced challenges. In 1743, complaints arose about disorder. A registrar was threatened with dismissal unless he reorganized the archive. The Stadtarchiv was reorganized under Registrator Leonard Leopold Maldoner.
Ferdinand Weiss became the first official archivist in 1798. He was a Catholic priest. The transition of Freiburg to the Grand Duchy of Baden occurred during his tenure.
Heinrich Schreiber, a historian, became the Stadtarchiv’s director in 1822. He focused on the Münster. He also had the 507 volumes of council and production logs bound.
In 1855, the Grand Ducal City Office vacated the Ratshof. Cajetan Jäger, a retired court secretary, became archivist. He organized older files from the current registry into the Stadtarchiv.
In the late 1800s, the Stadtarchiv’s responsibilities expanded. It oversaw antiquities, armor, and paintings. It also managed the public library.
Peter Paul Albert became the first professionally trained archivist in 1894. The city prison became the Stadtarchiv building in 1896. A storage facility was built in 1906.
During World War II, documents were moved for safekeeping. The Stadtarchiv building was destroyed in a 1944 air raid. Fortunately, most documents survived.
In 1957, the Stadtarchiv moved to the Haus zum Herzog on Salzstraße. In 2002, the archive lost its independence. It became a department of the cultural office. Since the beginning of 2024, the Stadtarchiv Freiburg has been accessible to the public at its new address.
The Stadtarchiv’s collection is vast. It includes about 22,000 documents. It also holds 380 manuscripts from the 14th century. There are approximately 700 volumes of council minutes. The archive contains 60,000 council letters dating back to the 14th century.
The library within the Stadtarchiv is open to the public. It specializes in the history of Freiburg and Baden-Württemberg. It also covers the Upper Rhine region.
The building itself has a rich history. It is built over one of the city’s oldest structures dating back to 1120. The Stadtarchiv stands as a testament to Freiburg’s enduring story. It preserves the echoes of generations past.