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House Rules
Visit the National Archives
This is what you need to know during your visit
Archives are special forms of information; they are formed during the execution of a process. We call it “process-related” information. It is therefore different from information found in a book or a library. That is “processed” information, information into which an author’s interpretation or thought has been incorporated. The information from an archive is different: it is the primary source, without interpretation. We preserve it to bring an event from the past back to you, precisely with the sources from that time, without “processing” or interpretation by anyone else.
We have selected some topics for you below regarding the history of Curaçao. Also, take a look at our exhibitions on this site or the topics from the Canon of Curaçao. We hope that you will be intrigued to conduct your own research using the primary sources from that time itself. Feel free to drop by; consultation is free, and you will always be helped with your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some frequently asked questions:
The National Archives is the custodian of the archives of the current country of Curaçao and of the former country, the Netherlands Antilles. As such, the National Archives manages the treasures of information from our past. These treasures of information consist of archives created during the execution of government duties.
The collection also includes archives of private organizations and individuals.
The National Archives manages nearly 4 kilometers of archives, including documents, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, and videotapes. These archives were formed by:a. the central government of the former country, the Netherlands Antillesb. private institutions and private organizations.
To obtain more information about the archives available, you can consult our archives overview.
The indexes of the civil registry records of the islands that belonged to the former country of the Netherlands Antilles, namely Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten, are available online on the website www.wiewaswie.nl. And soon also on this website. These digital indexes are also available in the Genealogy Reading Room at the National Archives. The indexes cover:a. Births, 1831 through 1910;b. Deaths, 1831 through 1950;c. Marriages and divorces, 1817 through 1930.Furthermore, the National Archives also holds the indexes of the following genealogical sources in digital form, but not online. These are:a. the military registers;b. the births and deaths of slaves, 1848 through 1863;c. the citizenship books;d. register of escaped slaves;e. the civil registry records of births, deaths, and marriages and divorces of Curaçao.f. the Juliana Brenneker Collection.
The National Archives is open to visitors:
Monday from 13:30 to 16:30;
Tuesday through Thursday from 08:00 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 16:30;
Friday from 08:00 to 11:30.
You do not need to make an appointment. You can simply walk in during office hours on the days we are open. On your first visit, we ask you to register as a visitor. Identification is required for this by means of a valid form of identity: a Cedula, a valid driving licence, or a valid passport.
Once you are registered, please proceed and report to one of the reading room staff members. The staff member at the counter will explain the procedures in the reading room. You will receive a set of visitor regulations. You can view these visitor regulations on our website before your visit.
If you would like to ensure in advance that a visit is worthwhile and useful, or if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us via our email address or by telephone at (5999) 461 48 66.
You can find information on how to find your way to the National Archives on our website. You can also find our contact details and opening hours there via the contact section. The National Archives is easily accessible by car and reasonably accessible by public transport. The National Archives is located at the end of Scharlooweg, close to Radio Hoyer, Hoyerplein, and Julianaplein. If you are coming by car, you can park in the parking lots inside the National Archives or in the parking facilities close to the National Archives. If you are coming by public transport, you will need to walk a short distance from the bus stop where you get off.
A visit to the National Archives is free of charge. You can request and view archival documents, books, and the like free of charge. If you conduct research yourself, you do not have to pay any fees. You only pay for having copies and other reproductions made. The support you may request from a reading room staff member is also free of charge. If you wish for National Archives staff to conduct research for you, research costs will be charged. The research is carried out at fixed rates.
If we conduct the research for you, you will be required to pay research costs. We use a half-hourly rate to determine the research costs. The rates for the various services of the National Archives are available at the reading room staff member’s desk and on our website.
You must submit your research assignment to us in writing or by email.
No, that is not possible. The archives, collections, and compilations that we manage can only be consulted in the reading rooms of the National Archives. This also applies to the books in our library. Our library is intended solely to provide support in the reading room. You may, however, make copies of the material you consult in the reading rooms at fixed rates.
The National Archives sometimes lends documents, drawings, and photographs to, among others, temporary exhibitions in museums and other heritage institutions at home and abroad. In these cases, the National Archives applies a loan procedure that contains certain conditions.
According to the National Archives Ordinance, original documents can be consulted free of charge. However, there may be reasons why this is not possible:
Restrictions on public access: In principle, archival documents are public after transfer to the National Archives. This means that visitors can view the originals. However, due to the protection of the privacy of living persons, documents containing privacy-sensitive information cannot be viewed. This applies, among others, to documents from the archive of the Governor’s Cabinet.
Available on microfiche, microfilm, or digitally:
Frequently consulted sources are or are being microfiched, microfilmed, or digitized. You may only consult these reproductions. This is to protect the originals. Originals may only be consulted in exceptional circumstances, to be determined by the reading room staff member.
Poor physical condition: Documents may be in such poor physical condition that it is irresponsible to release them for consultation. To make later use of these documents, they must first be restored.
In progress: If an archive is being inventoried, the documents may be temporarily unavailable for consultation. We do our best to prevent this, and if that is not possible, then to keep the limited accessibility as short as possible.
In principle, the National Archives of Curaçao does not expand its collection by purchasing offered items. However, the National Archives does accept offers in the form of donations if the documentary material is closely related to the government archives and private archives already managed by the National Archives. When the offered material has no close relationship with the government archives or the tasks of the government, we refer potential donors to other heritage institutions.
The National Archives has no information to help locate living persons. The archives at the National Archives are generally at least 50 years old. Information about living persons is protected by, among other things, privacy laws. The archives of the National Archives are not helpful in providing recent information about individuals.
Other government agencies possess usable information that can help locate living persons.
The National Archives manages an extensive collection of historical moving images and sound archives. You can consult the “Topographical Historical Atlas” for this purpose. The most important moving image collections are:
• The Polygon films (CHA);
• RVD Collections;
• Department of Culture and Education;
• Fundashon Kòrsou 500;
• Carmabi;
• Boeldak;
• Cabinet of the Plenipotentiary Minister.
The most important sound materials are the collections
• ZIKINZA;
• FESSKA;
• AAINA;
• Antoin, Boeldak (oral history);
• Castillo;
• Cabinet of the Plenipotentiary Minister;
• Tim de Wolf.
The digitization of collections depends on a multitude of factors. Not least are the costs, but also public demand, physical condition, format, and (legible) handwriting. In addition to digitizing the documents themselves, digital indices must also be created. Initially, serially organized collections have the highest priority for this, such as civil registry records and militia registration cards. The National Archives will make its inventories digitally and online accessible in the course of time.
Visitors are not permitted to make photocopies themselves. However, the National Archives does make copies upon request from visitors, for a fee. Fragile registers are generally not copied; however, it is possible to reproduce them using a digital camera. A fee applies to this service. A daily rate applies for multiple photographic reproductions. A reading room staff member can provide you with more information regarding this.
Everyone can make use of the collections of the National Archives. You do not need a letter of introduction or anything similar to use the services of the National Archives.
You may bring equipment with you. However, all bags and containers must be stored in the lockers outside the reading room.
Cameras may only be used with natural light. Therefore, the use of a flash is prohibited. A fee applies to photographic reproductions (including self-made photos). You can ask a reading room staff member about the possibilities for taking your own photos.
Scanners are generally not permitted because most documents are in poor physical condition. They cannot be scanned due to the fragility and irreplaceability of the archival records.
Laptops are, of course, permitted.
To manage the valuable archives, the National Archives requires well-trained staff in various disciplines related to archive management. These employees are tasked with processing, preserving, utilizing, and making the valuable archives available to the general public.
De vacatures zijn momenteel “on hold” gezet, totdat de Bachelors opleiding Archivistiek (Archiefschool) aan de ICUC gediplomeerde kandidaten aflevert.