Author(s): Dannie Snyder (2018) – last update: 2018-06-21.
The “HR-HDA-1561: The State Security Service of the Republic Internal Affairs Secretariat of the Socialist Republic of Croatia’s Intelligence Files” collection contains approximately 68,800 intelligence files produced by said civilian security and intelligence service from 1946 to 1990. The Service monitored all persons whose activities were assessed as a threat to the state’s political and security system. A significant number of files pertain to members of religious communities, political émigrés, participants in the Croatian Spring as well as other political and intellectual dissidents. It is operated by the Croatian State Archives.
Contact
Hrvatski državni arhiv / Croatian State Archives
Trg Marka Marulića 21,
10000 Zagreb
Croatia
Archival information: tel. +385 1 4801 999
Fax: +385 1 4829 000
Email: info@arhiv.hr
Office Hours: Monday – Wednesday 8:15-15:45, Thursday 8:15-17:45, Friday 8:15-14:45
Website
http://www.arhiv.hr/Croatian-State-Archives
How to plan and to prepare a visit
The following information was taken from “Records’ Accessibility” page on the Croatian State Archives Website.
The use of archival records and finding aids is free of charge. In principle, copies of archival records are provided to users, while originals are provided for use only if there are no copies of the records or if the method of work so requires. Documents required for official purposes are provided for use in the form of certified copies.
Use of archival records can be temporarily suspended when:
- the records are damaged
- the records are not arranged or they are still in the process of archival arrangement
- required records are already being used by someone else
- copies of required records are being made at the time
- the records are undergoing restoration
- the records are lent for exhibitions
Some limitations to be aware of …
Every user has the right to use archives on equal terms with all other users.
Public archives become accessible to the public 30 years after their date of origin, but they also may become available before the expiration of the set limit if the records were intended for public use from the outset or if their creator approved the records for early release when they were acquired by the archives.
Public archives containing information referring to the defence, international relations, economic interest of the state and affairs of national security, whose publication could cause harmful consequences for the national security or to the national interest of the Republic of Croatia, become accessible for public use 50 years after their date of origin provided separate regulations do not determine otherwise.
Public archives referring to personal data (register of births, marriages and deaths, medical documentation, personal files, juridical, tax, financial files etc.) become accessible 70 years after their date of origin, 100 years after the birth or 10 years after the death of the person relevant to the records.
Creators of the records are allowed to use the archival records without any restrictions, but only for the purpose or activities originally intended for those records.
Registration
To register online, simply click the “register” button on the top, right-hand corner of the home page. Note that the membership is, of course, private. Once your account information has been submitted, the Site Administrator will be notified and your application will be subjected to a screening procedure. If your application is authorized, you will receive notification that you can access the site.
Reading Rooms
The following information was taken from “The Reading Rooms” page on the Croatian State Archives Website.
Please note that the records are not arranged in accordance with topics, so you probably will not find everything you need in one place. (Archival records are arranged according to institutions, which created the records through their activity. The order in which the records are arranged depends on the business structure and internal organization of the institution as well as on the arrangement of official and business documentation.)
At first arrival to the Central Reading Room of the Croatian State Archives, users should contact an employee in the Reference Service and fill out the “Researcher Application” form for the use of archival records.
After signing in, users will obtain information about archival finding aids and archives’ fonds and collections which contain data relevant to their research topic as well as conditions of use and reproduction of records. At the beginning of research, one should identify the archival units in which a certain kind of document can be found and then, with the help of the respective finding aid, find the document itself.
As a user, you have to fill out a request form for archival records, which will be made available as soon as possible, at the latest on the following workday. If the requested archival records are kept in a repository outside Zagreb, they will be delivered within 5 working days.
Archive databases & Online finding aids
To view their online database, click here.
Practical advice
The following information was taken from “Making Copies” page on the Croatian State Archives Website.
For making copies of the records users should specify required records and fill out the request form. In the request form or in the special appendix users should indicate pages and using special marks denote the archival records they require copying. Charges for photocopying and types of copies are determined by the Croatian State Archives’ pricelist, which is annually approved by the Ministry of Culture. The CSA reserves the right to decline photocopying because of preservation, restrictions imposed by the donor or creator, copyright law or other reasons. Copies from supplementary microfilms acquired from other archives may be made only with the permission of those archives. In the request form for archival records dating from before the end of 18th century, as well as for specific types of archival records (books, graphics, schemes, maps, photos etc.) which are not allowed to be photocopied, the type of reproduction should be specified. The reproduction of finding aids, complete fonds and collections, as well as larger parts of them is not allowed. Users desiring to use their own digital camera must fill out a special request form.
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