Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach

What Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach does

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach is a Polish state archival institution headquartered at ul. Józefowska 104, Katowice, with branch offices in Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Gliwice, Pszczyna (reading room), and Racibórz. Founded in November 1932 as the first Polish historical archive in Silesia, it operates under the Polish Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego as part of the national Archiwa Państwowe network, holding statutory archival authority over the Silesian Voivodeship and western border areas of the Małopolskie Voivodeship. It preserves and provides access to Upper Silesian historical records spanning industrial heritage, civil registries, PRL-era materials, and German occupation documents, including the 1922 Commemorative Act inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2018.

Its core products consist of reading-room archival access, document certification and certified copies, document-management services for institutional clients, scholarly publications (notably the annual "Szkice Archiwalno-Historyczne" journal), online exhibitions, and a limited retail line of educational items (e.g., the 2025 board game "James Archiwista z licencją na brakowanie"). Underlying technology is non-proprietary and standard for archival operations: digitization infrastructure, digital preservation systems, and integrated access through the national szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl portal, the Silesian Digital Library (Sileska Biblioteka Cyfrowa), and the Open Regional Spatial Information System (ORSIP).

The institution operates on a state-budget funding model (Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage), supplemented by transactional fee-based services under a regulated price schedule (Director's Order No. 10/2026, effective 21 February 2026) and retail sale of publications. Customer segments span four primary groups: the general public (genealogy, citizenship, property verification), researchers and scholars (academic and Silesian regional history), government and public administration (civil registry verification, administrative documentation), and schools and educational institutions (genealogy competitions, curriculum support). Following a 347 million PLN capital expansion completed in June 2026, the headquarters spans over 26,000 m² across 11 buildings, with a follow-on 347 million PLN thermomodernization program under EU Cohesion Fund financing running 2025–2029. The institution has no commercial shareholders, no private equity exposure, and operates as a non-commercial state body.

Name

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach

Legal name

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach

Website

https://katowice.ap.gov.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach is a Polish state archival institution (founded 1932) that preserves and provides public access to Upper Silesian historical records across a Katowice headquarters and five regional branch offices, serving genealogists, scholars, government agencies, and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Archival Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Other General Government Support (92119)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAAAG

National Archives, Records & Information Governance

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAGAHAF

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAEAGAJ

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

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYTHAJADAI

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

Keywords

• Archival services
• State archives
• Document preservation
• Historical records
• Genealogy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Katowice

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Budget Funding: Primary funding from the Polish state budget via the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN), covering operational costs, staff, preservation, and capital investments.
2. Archival Services and Fees: Fee-based services including certified copies, extracts, research requests, and archival services as regulated by official schedule and price list (effective 21 February 2026 per Director's Order No. 10/2026).
3. Publication Sales: Sale of educational and scholarly publications (catalogs, guidebooks, archival aids, exhibition catalogs), including the board game 'James Archiwista z licencją na brakowanie' priced at 73 PLN plus shipping.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach is a public government archive that collects, preserves, and provides public access to historical documents and records related to the Silesian region. It operates a central headquarters in Katowice and five branch offices, offering in-person research services, certified copies and extracts, genealogical research assistance, digital access to collections via national portals, document management services for government entities, and publishes scholarly journals and educational materials.

Product overview

Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach is a public government archive offering archival services primarily focused on collecting, preserving, and providing access to historical documents related to the Silesian region. The institution operates a central headquarters in Katowice and five branch offices in Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Gliwice, Pszczyna, and Racibórz. Its core digital products include the Zbiory Online (Online Collections) accessible through the national szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl portal, the Silesian Digital Library, and ORSIP. Additionally, it offers the educational board game 'James Archiwista z licencją na brakowanie' as a strategic project product, and publishes the scholarly journal 'Szkice Archiwalno-Historyczne'. On-site services encompass reading room access, genealogical research, document certification, and educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Archival Access Services (Udostępnianie zasobu archiwalnego) In-person research services including reading rooms at the headquarters and five branch offices (Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Gliwice, Pszczyna, Racibórz), document certification, genealogical research assistance, and administrative document services for researchers, genealogists, and the general public.
• Document Management Services (Zarządzanie dokumentacją) Services related to the management, storage, and administration of official government and institutional documents for eligible public entities, including personnel and payroll documentation processing.
• Certificates, Authenticated Copies and Extracts (Zaświadczenia, uwierzytelnione kopie i odpisy) Official certificates, authenticated copies, and extracts of archival documents for administrative and legal purposes, with fees regulated by Director's Order No. 10/2026 effective 21 February 2026.
• Online Collections (Zbiory Online) Digital portal providing access to digitized archival materials including scans of documents, maps, photographs, and records accessible through the national szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl portal, the Silesian Digital Library, and ORSIP for free online access by the public.
• James Archiwista z licencją na brakowanie (Board Game) An educational board game designed to introduce players to the world of archives, archival procedures, and document management through a spy-themed adventure. Players take on roles as archive agents navigating a game board representing archive rooms, priced at 73 PLN plus shipping.
• Szkice Archiwalno-Historyczne (Archival-Historical Sketches Journal) An annual scholarly journal published by the State Archives in Katowice, featuring articles and materials on Silesian history, archival science, and regional studies.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable, minor and core.

• Zamek Piastowski w Raciborzu (Piast Castle in Racibórz)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2025A partnership agreement was signed on 28 June 2025 between Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach and Zamek Piastowski w Raciborzu. The cooperation aims to popularize the history and culture of the region, and to organize future scientific, educational, exhibition, and publishing activities. A similar agreement was signed with Instytut Śląski w Opolu.
• Światowy Związek Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej (World Association of Home Army Soldiers), Śląski OkręgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2025Jan Musiał, President of the Silesian District of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers (ŚZŻAK), delivered a commemorative medal on 9 January 2025 and discussed further cooperation on securing the association's archival materials. In 2024, ŚZŻAK donated many valuable documents to the archive's collection.
• PKP S.A. (Polish State Railways)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerArchiwum Państwowe w Katowicach participates in the nationwide 'Pamięć Kolejowych Pokoleń w Archiwach Państwowych' (Memory of Railway Generations in State Archives) campaign, coordinated with PKP S.A. The campaign collects private railway-related memorabilia and documents to preserve the memory of Polish railways and railway workers, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of PKP.
• Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach — Instytut Historii (University of Silesia, History Institute)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the University of Silesia's History Institute on student exhibition projects. Third-year students in Archival Studies and Document Management created exhibitions based on archival materials as part of coursework 'Informatyczne metody popularyzacji zasobów archiwalnych'. Exhibits were presented on the archive's website from June to September 2025.
• Grupa NDI (NDI Group)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNDI Group is the general contractor for the 'Rozbudowa i przebudowa siedziby Archiwum Państwowego w Katowicach' construction project (2024–2026), valued at approximately 347 million PLN. The project includes expansion of existing buildings and construction of new archival storage and conference facilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• FamilySearch: Genealogy-focused platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that digitizes and indexes archival records globally, including Polish sources. Competes with the archive's genealogy service offering and drives demand for on-site materials.
• Europeana Foundation: EU-funded digital platform aggregating digitized cultural heritage from European archives, libraries, and museums. Comparable as a complementary access channel for archival materials but does not replace primary archival holding institutions.

Direct peers

• The National Archives (UK): UK government archive and publisher, holding 1,000 years of records and operating reading rooms, educational programs, and a major digitization platform. Comparable in statutory role, customer segments, and educational outreach model.
• Library and Archives Canada: Canadian federal institution combining library and archival functions under a single mandate, providing public research services, exhibitions, and educational programming. Directly comparable in operating model, regulatory authority, and digital public access.
• Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe (National Digital Archives, Poland): Polish state institution focused on digitization, storage, and online dissemination of national archival holdings, partnering with regional state archives including Katowice. Highly comparable in digitization mission and integrated szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl infrastructure.
• Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives of Germany): Germany's federal archival authority holding records of the central government and preserving documentation of German history, including material from periods relevant to Upper Silesia. Comparable in mandate, regulatory moat, and digitization scale.
• Archives nationales (France): French national archives operating under the Ministry of Culture, holding historical state records across multiple sites with public research rooms, exhibitions, and educational programming. Direct comparable in mandate and operational structure.
• Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records, Poland): Poland's central state archive holding the nation's most important historical records, operating under the same Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach and sharing the same statutory mandate, governance, and digital infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: U.S. federal research library and archival institution offering broad public access, exhibitions, educational programming, and a major digital portal. Comparable as a larger, broader-mandate counterpart operating under a statutory cultural-heritage mission.

Regional players

• Arcanum (Arcanum Adatbázis): Hungarian-led digital archive platform offering subscription access to digitized historical newspapers, books, and archival materials from Central Europe, including Polish holdings. Comparable as a regional digitization and access channel competing for the same end-user demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archiwum-pa%C5%84stwowe-w-katowicach

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Archiwum Państwowe w Katowicach