The history of archives in Scandinavia

Abstract

This chapter describes Scandinavian archival history as a history of adding new functions and groups of users to the archival practice. Up to the nineteenth century, the main purpose of the archives was to store records of legal and administrative value. Subsequently, the archive has been an important source of cultural heritage for historians. Genealogists have increased their use of archives, and community archiving has flourished. At the same time, the digital age with the further increase of information flows has led to increased challenges for the archival sector in its task of storing records for both longer and more limited time frames. The chapter discusses the archival legislation in the Scandinavian countries and sheds light on major discussions throughout the history of modern archives: How do archivists handle the inherent contradictions between the heritage and research-oriented aspects of archives, and the task of safeguarding records for contemporary purposes in order to keep evidence for the sake of transparency, legal purposes, and the proper management of organizations? Are archives in the former sense primarily a resource for academic research or for the growing number of user groups?

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