Het Utrechts Archief

Name

Het Utrechts Archief

Legal name

Het Utrechts Archief

Website

https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Archival and Heritage Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Content Governance, Compliance, Retention & eDiscovery (HDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Archival services
• Historical records preservation
• Digital archive access
• Genealogy research
• Heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Het Utrechts Archief is a public body under the Wet Gemeenschappelijke Regeling (Joint Regulation Act), funded jointly by municipalities and provinces in the Utrecht region, and previously by the national government (Rijk). Funding comes from municipal and provincial contributions as part of its regional historical center function.
2. Expo Exhibition Entry Fees: Paid admission to the Expo exhibition space at Hamburgerstraat 28, priced at €5.00 per adult visitor, with free entry for children up to 18, students, Museumkaart holders, and other eligible groups.
3. Scan and Copy Services: Fees for scanning documents on demand (scan-on-demand) and providing copies of archive materials. Professional research assistance is available at €18.25 per 15 minutes.
4. Friends (Vrienden) Membership Donations: Tax-deductible donations through Stichting Utrechtse Vrienden, which holds cultural ANBI status, making contributions fiscally deductible for donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Het Utrechts Archief is a Regional Historical Center (Regionaal Historisch Centrum) that preserves and provides access to over 30 kilometers of physical archives and millions of digital files spanning the 9th century to the present for the city and province of Utrecht. It operates a free reading room, a paid Expo exhibition space, online searchable databases (persons, images, films, newspapers, transcriptions), a digital e-depot for long-term preservation, and educational programs for schools and researchers. The organization delivers services through its study room, website, exhibition hall, and outreach programs including paleography courses, workshops, and tours.

Product overview

Het Utrechts Archief is a regional historical archive (Regionaal Historisch Centrum) serving as the collective memory of the city and province of Utrecht. It maintains over 33 km of physical archives and millions of digital files spanning from the 9th century to the present. The core offering consists of physical and digital archive collections accessible through the website (collecties), an online person database (personen), an image bank (beeldcollectie), a film and audio collection, and a reading room (studiezaal) for on-site research. The archive also operates the Expo exhibition hall, an e-depot for digital archiving, the CABR digital access service for WWII justice records, and a transcription service using HTR and OCR. Research tools include the Utrechtse Bestuurders historical administrators database, building dossiers, digitized newspapers (Utrechts Nieuwsblad 1893-1967), and a physical library. Educational services include paleography courses, archive research workshops, and a dedicated education programme for primary, secondary, and vocational students. The Utrecht Time Machine project delivers historical content through digital storytelling and VR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Archive Collections (Collecties) Physical and digital archives spanning over 30 kilometers of documents and millions of digital files, covering archives of national, provincial, and local governments, private organisations, religious institutions, and individuals. Includes archival accessions, notarial deeds, special collections, photographs, films, maps, newspapers, and library materials.
• Personen Database (Persons Database) Searchable database of over 14 million person references from civil registry records, notarial deeds, baptism/marriage/burial registers, population registers, military registers, personnel registers, and charity relief records, spanning from the 16th century to the mid-20th century.
• Beeldcollectie (Image Collection) Over 500,000 images including photographs, prints, maps, drawings, and technical drawings. Approximately 200,000 images are digitized and accessible in the online image bank. Collections include work by Utrecht city photographers (Nico Jesse, F.F. van der Werf, Hofland, Moesman) and notable drawings by Pieter Saenredam and Herman Saftleven.
• Films en Geluidsmateriaal (Films and Audio) Over 500 films (1920–1980), approximately 175 audio carriers, and about 300 television broadcasts. A large portion of the film collection has been digitized, including government-commissioned films, family films, and films from Utrecht companies. Audio materials include speeches, lectures, and council reports.
• Studiezaal (Reading Room) Physical reading room at Alexander Numankade 199-201, providing free access to original archive materials, digitized collections, and research assistance. Services include document ordering, scanning on demand, and access to workstations including specialized CABR research computers.
• Expo (Exhibition Hall) Exhibition space at Hamburgerstraat 28 (former courthouse) presenting rotating exhibitions on Utrecht's 2000-year history. The Expo features interactive installations, virtual cycling tours, historical animations, and family activities. Entrance fee applies; children, students, Museumkaart holders enter free.
• E-depot (Digital Repository) Digital preservation repository for digitally-formed and digitally-preserved archives from government bodies, companies, and private individuals. Provides long-term digital storage and management of born-digital archival materials, accessible via https://edepot.hetutrechtsarchief.nl/.
• Transcripties (Transcription Services)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 14 million person records searchable online, enabling genealogical and historical research
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Paleis LofenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Joint collaboration for Stadsdag (City Day) on June 2, celebrating Utrecht's 904th anniversary of receiving city rights in 1122. Paleis Lofen offered a guided tour from their location to the Expo where the original City Rights document was displayed. Both organizations co-produced a publication about the city rights.
• Stichting Utrechtse VriendencoreOthers · 3 June 2026The friends foundation (RSIN: 823630857) supports Het Utrechts Archief through ambassadors and advisors, not primarily as donors. The foundation's goal is to increase the societal support base for Het Utrechts Archief and share knowledge with the archive's management. The foundation holds its own cultural ANBI status. Board: Maarten Timmerman (chair), Nadia Doudou (communications advisor), Arnoud van Mosselveld (artist). No compensation is paid to board members.
• Stichting Tivoli (Oud-Bestuur)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2026Collaboration for the 'Terug naar Tivoli' exhibition about the legendary Utrecht pop venue (1979-2014). The old foundation board of Stichting Tivoli collaborated on the exhibition showcasing concert posters, photos, films, and other materials from the Tivoli archive.
• TivoliVredenburgminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 March 2026Co-organizer of the 'Terug naar Tivoli' exhibition about Utrecht's pop history. TivoliVredenburg is a contemporary music venue that succeeded the original Tivoli club, and co-supported the exhibition with funding from Cultuurfonds, K.F. Hein Fonds, NOT-fonds, and VSBfonds.
• Atlas Cultureel CentrumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Partnership for the 50-year Surinamese independence commemoration. Atlas Cultureel Centrum organized a photo exhibition at Krachtstation Utrecht, while Het Utrechts Archief collects and archives personal materials (photos and documents) from Surinamese migrants in Utrecht. Together they issue a call to the Utrecht community to contribute materials documenting Surinamese migrant history.
• Nationaal ArchiefcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Het Utrechts Archief provides physical access points for the Nationaal Archief's Centraal Archief Bijzondere Rechtspleging (CABR) digital dossiers. Two dedicated computers in the reading room allow researchers to search approximately one-third of the CABR archives. The Nationaal Archief provides the digital interface and is responsible for content questions through its 'Oorlog voor de Rechter' team. The CABR contains archives from the special courts that tried collaborators after WWII (1944-1952).
• NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 December 2025NS donated approximately 1.5 kilometers of railway archives spanning from the early 19th century, including archives of railway companies HSM, NRS, NCS, MESS, and NS from 1832 onward. This includes 100 meters of NS library books, approximately 30,000 photographs, staff registers, building drawings, and other railway-related materials. The archives had been on long-term loan and are now formally transferred as a donation.
• Historische Kring NieuwegeinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Collaboration to catalog and describe 28 meters of image collection from Nieuwegein. Over a year, volunteers from the Historische Kring helped identify locations and describe photos. The collection is now searchable both online and at the Nieuwegein library.
• FAAM (Project Coordinator)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2025FAAM coordinated the open-air exhibition 'Naar Buiten!' about Utrecht's rural life history, in partnership with Het Waterliniemuseum, Kasteel Amerongen, Regionaal Archief Zuid-Utrecht, and Het Utrechts Archief. Two young Utrecht historians researched parts of the history of rural life using archives from Het Utrechts Archief and Regionaal Archief Zuid-Utrecht.
• Gemeente Utrecht and Provincie UtrechtcoreOthersHet Utrechts Archief is a public body under the Wet Gemeenschappelijke Regeling, jointly governed and funded by the municipality and province of Utrecht. This is the core governance structure of the organization.

Scale indicators11 records

Others

• Delpher: National Dutch digital archive platform operated by the KB National Library, providing full-text searchable historical newspapers, books, and periodicals. Het Utrechts Archief actively promotes Delpher in its research workshops, making it a closely linked enabling platform for the same researcher audience.
• Wiewaswie: Dutch genealogy platform aggregating civil records from multiple Dutch regional archives, including Het Utrechts Archief. A primary digital front door for the same genealogical user base, making it a directly comparable ecosystem player.

Direct peers

• Tresoar: Regional Historical Center for Friesland, combining archive, library, and research services. Comparable RHC peer with similar public-body status and digitization initiatives.
• Stadsarchief Amsterdam: Amsterdam City Archives, one of the largest municipal archives in the Netherlands and a comparable RHC-equivalent institution. Operates with similar services (reading room, online collections, exhibitions, education) but at significantly larger scale, making it the closest structural peer to Het Utrechts Archief.
• Noord-Hollands Archief: Regional Historical Center for North Holland, one of the 11 RHCs in the Netherlands. Directly comparable as a sister regional archive with similar collections, statutory basis, exhibitions, and digitization programs.
• Gelders Archief: Regional Historical Center for Gelderland, another of the 11 Dutch RHCs. Comparable in mission, scale, public-body structure, and service portfolio (reading room, online collections, exhibitions).
• Stadsarchief Rotterdam: Rotterdam City Archives, another large Dutch municipal archive providing physical and digital access to regional heritage collections. Directly comparable in mission, GTM (reading room, exhibitions, online portals), and statutory public-body status.
• Erfgoed 's-Hertogenbosch: Regional heritage institution for 's-Hertogenbosch and North Brabant, operating as an RHC with comparable archival, educational, and exhibition services.

Regional players

• Regionaal Archief Zuid-Utrecht: A smaller regional archive serving the southern part of Utrecht province. Recently collaborated with Het Utrechts Archief on the 'Naar Buiten!' exhibition; a geographic neighbor with overlapping collections and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Nationaal Archief: The Dutch National Archives, the apex governmental archive and a key partner of Het Utrechts Archief (e.g., providing CABR digital access). Operates across the whole country with broader scope, but shares the same archival mission and offers overlapping services for researchers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hetutrechtsarchief
• Facebookfacebook.com/HetUtrechtsArchief
• Instagraminstagram.com/hetutrechtsarchief
• Xx.com/utrechtsarchief
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/het-utrechts-archief

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Het Utrechts Archief