ArchivportalD

Archivportal-D is a web portal that provides centralized access to archival finding aids and descriptions from participating German archives. It was created to facilitate the discovery of archival holdings across institutional boundaries and to connect researchers with archival materials, including linked digital objects where available.

The portal aggregates metadata from a wide range of institutions across Germany, including university, state, municipal, church, and private archives. It covers holdings such as fonds, collections, and legacy records and offers a searchable interface with facets such as archive, location, date range, subject terms, and repository. Users can perform full-text searches for finding aids and access direct links to digitized items when provided by the holding institutions.

Metadata is supplied by partner archives and is structured to support interoperability through standardized archival formats and controlled vocabularies. The platform emphasizes open access to metadata and aims to facilitate reuse, with records presented primarily in German and, where available, accompanied by English translations of terms or descriptions.

Archivportal-D is a collaboration among German archival institutions and is managed by a coordinating unit that oversees technical development, data quality, and user support. The portal is designed to complement national and international cultural heritage portals and can integrate with other aggregators and platforms, contributing to broader access to archival materials across Europe.