Access Restrictions Periods

Not all archival records held by the Municipal Archives are available for unrestricted consultation. Restrictions on use may be based on either conservation-related or legal considerations. Many archival records contain information subject to data protection regulations. For this reason, archival legislation provides for specific closure periods and access restriction periods for more recent records.

Access to archival records that remain subject to closure or access restriction periods is regulated by the Bavarian Archives Act and by the Statutes Governing the Responsibilities and Use of the Augsburg Municipal Archives.

As a general rule, archival records may only be consulted ten years after the records have been closed. This period does not apply to records that were intended for publication or were already publicly accessible at the time of their creation.

In the case of records containing personal information, access is generally permitted no earlier than ten years after the death of the person concerned. If the date of death cannot be established, or can only be established with disproportionate effort, a protection period of 100 years from the date of birth shall apply.

Archival records subject to specific statutory confidentiality requirements may be accessed only after a period of 60 years from the closure of the file.

Archival records may also remain closed beyond the periods specified above, or may be accessible only with special permission, where this is stipulated by agreements with former owners or depositors (for example, in the case of personal papers and estates).