Harlingen Municipal Archives
Tracing the past
The Harlingen Municipal Archives contain a wealth of information about life and work in the Frisian port city over the past 500 years. This includes archives of the city administration, municipal institutions, guilds, businesses, and schools.
Access to the archives: inventories
You can consult the inventory of the municipal archives up to 1926 via www.friesarchiefnet.nl.. In 2012, a printed inventory of the Harlingen archives 1937-1985 was completed. The majority of these latter archives are public and can be viewed in the archive repository of the Hannemahuis.
Conducting your own research
If you wish to conduct research, please make an appointment with Ms. Jeannette Tigchelaar (administrator):
- j.tigchelaar2@harlingen.nl
- 0517-413658
Conducting your own archival research
Next to the archive repository is a small study room for visitors. Please make an appointment in advance, even if you wish to view building plans from 1900-1935. For building plans from 1935 onwards and the archives from 1985, you can contact the Documentary Information Provision Team, info@harlingen.nl..
Searching for your ancestors
Orient yourself thoroughly when you want to start genealogical research. There are courses available, for example at Tresoar in Leeuwarden. Or use the 'Guide to Genealogical and Biographical Research in Friesland' or the handy 'Internet Guide to Genealogical Research' (Koos Boertjens, 2000).
The Internet offers a wealth of information. For example, on www.allefriezen.nl you will find data from the Harlingen Population Registers 1850-1920, the Baptism, Marriage, Burial, and Membership Books, and data from Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates from 1811 onwards. And on www.kleinekerkstraat.nl, there are hundreds of thousands of records regarding Harlingen and its inhabitants in the 17th-19th centuries (including under 'Residents').
The archives offer even more information. This allows you to trace how you acquired your surname or what professions your ancestors held. You can also find information in the Population Registers regarding where they moved over the years, how much they earned, or which church they belonged to.
Searching for the history of real estate
In the 'Guide to researching the history of real estate in Friesland', Tresoar describes how to conduct step-by-step research into the ownership, occupancy, and construction history of properties, as well as the use of buildings and land. Tresoar also organizes courses on this subject.
You can find a lot of information about houses in Harlingen on www.kleinekerkstraat.nl (including under 'Search your house'). The information is regularly updated thanks to volunteers from the Harlingen Municipal Archives and the Oud Harlingen association. They make sales information for properties accessible from the Proclamation Deeds 1597-1811 of the Lower Court of Harlingen. The same applies to estate inventories from the 17th and 18th centuries. Such inventories provide a wonderful picture of the material culture in Harlingen. They were drawn up when someone had passed away.
Furthermore, a building plan of the house you are looking for may have been preserved in the Harlingen Municipal Archives, so that you know when it was built and who the architect is. The Harlingen cadastral ledgers from 1832 onwards are also preserved in the Municipal Archives (unfortunately, the cadastral maps are no longer available).
