Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland

During history, the southern borders of parts of Jutland have been changed and changed again alternating between Denmark and Germany; this is clearly apparent from the records of the region, which are kept at the Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland at Aabenraa.

The region covered by the Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland is the northern part of the former Danish Duchy of Schleswig. In 1864, after a war, Schleswig and Holstein were separated from the Danish monarchy; in 1867 the two regions became part of the Kingdom of Prussia (and from 1871, the German Empire). After a vote in 1920 the northern half again returned to Denmark.

Special records for Southern Jutland

Several archives dating back prior to the 1920s are shared by the Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland and Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein in the town of Schleswig (in present-day Germany).

The historical development means that in many ways the archives maintained in the Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland differ from those of other Danish provincial archives. In particular, this applies to:

• Archives from the Schleswig provincial administration and local administration until 1864;
• The archives of the local administration during the Prussian rule, from 1867 to 1920;
• Numerous private association archives and personal papers from the national campaign since the 1840s;
• Archives relating to the German minority during the Nazi rule, the occupation, and the later judicial purge; this includes archives seized from the German minority, 1920-1945.

Records for genealogy

Like the other regional archives, the Provincial Archives of Southern Jutland have numerous records of great importance to genealogists. This includes Parish Registers (the oldest one dating back to 1573), census lists, civilian birth and death bi-registers (from 1874), registers of debts, pledges and mortgages (the oldest dates back to 1669), and land registers (approximately 1880-1950).