Using the Archives
The University Archives are public archives in the sense of the Archive Act of North Rhine-Westphalia. This means that they’re open for use by anyone. HHU’s archiving regulations (Archivordnung, AO) provide general information on the use of the University Archives.
You’re able to use the archives on-site during the opening times and upon prior appointment.
Feel free to send us queries about using the archives and its holdings via email, post or telephone.
Before your visit
You’ll usually need to ask yourself three questions first: what am I looking for? What information do I already have? Where can I find more information? The more you narrow down your research topic and the more information you can provide us with, the more effectively we can support you in your research.
You can use the online overview of our holdings to gain an initial insight for yourself and to prepare for your visit to the archives. You’re also able to use the finding aids to obtain more detailed information about our holdings. Individual finding aids can be accessed online – an overview of the various finding aids is available here. The University Archives staff are gladly on hand to advise – either in advance or during your visit to the archives.