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Minutes of the conversation between Erich Honecker and Helmut Kohl on February 13, 1984

Minutes of the conversation between Erich Honecker and Helmut Kohl on February 13, 1984, Source: SAPMO-BArch, DY 30/2398, Bl. 81

Files

The central core of the Federal Archives’ collection contains more than 500 kilometres of files, mostly from the 20th century. The files are catalogued based on information pertaining to their content and the period covered. This information can be accessed using our research tools. Individual holdings can be accessed digitally via the internet. The document collection also includes card indexes and official publications.

In the Federal Archives, you have access to the state records of central civil and military authorities from various eras going back to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

In addition to the files of government agencies, the Federal Archives also holds official publications, documents from political parties, clubs and associations, collections and the estates of historically significant figures from the German Reich, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. Audiovisual sources have also been a part of the archival holdings since the late 19th century.

The documents are stored according to their era at different locations of the Federal Archives. Files on the Federal Republic of Germany are stored in Koblenz; files on the German Reich, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic are preserved in Berlin-Lichterfelde. The files of the central military authorities since 1867 are maintained at our Freiburg location. The records of the GDR Ministry for State Security are kept in Berlin-Lichtenberg and in the branch offices in the eastern federal states.

Due to war damage, some of the older holdings are unfortunately no longer complete. Partial holdings can also be found in foreign archives.

Use of Files

Please remember that documents from each era are stored at different locations within the Federal Archives. Files on the Federal Republic of Germany can be found in Koblenz, while files on the German Reich, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic are held in Berlin-Lichterfelde. The files of the central military bodies since 1867 can be accessed at our location in Freiburg im Breisgau.

You can find the opening hours and contact details of each location on our German website.

You can prepare for your visit by sending a written enquiry via email or post and by using our search tool “invenio”. You can even reserve archive material and request to use it in one of our reading rooms.

There are over kilometres of files held in the Federal Archives. Not all holdings have been digitised yet, but the number of digitised files is constantly on the rise.

Usage restrictions may apply in some cases, especially for recent files and personal documents.

Forms: Request for Use

Request for Use (in English) (PDF, 252 KB, File does not meet accessibility standards): Just for your information. Please fill in the German version

Request for Use (in German) (PDF, 790 KB, File does not meet accessibility standards): Please use this form.

Stasi Records

The records of the GDR Ministry for State Security are still maintained in Berlin and in the regional offices in the eastern federal states. To view files, we recommend that you submit your request online or send it by post to the Federal Archives - Stasi Records Archive.