Stadsarchief Breda

What Stadsarchief Breda does

Stadsarchief Breda is the official municipal city archive of Breda, Netherlands, operated by the Gemeente Breda (Municipality of Breda) and located at Parade 10, 4811 DZ Breda. The archive preserves and provides public access to the historical heritage of Breda and its surrounding historical municipalities, with holdings spanning from 1280 to the present across more than 41 catalogued archive series. It is staffed by 11 employees under the authority of municipal archivists and is funded through the municipal government budget.

The archive's product surface is a digital heritage platform built around several core collections and tools, including a searchable genealogical sources database (Genealogische bronnen), an interactive cadastral viewer (Archiefviewer) for land ownership records from 1824, digitized building dossiers, notarial archives from 1543 onward, municipal council minutes, a newspaper and library catalog, and an image repository of over 408,000 historical photographs and films organized into seven sub-collections. Supplementary offerings include the Transkribus integration for AI-powered handwritten text recognition, an oral history project ('Breda Vertelt'), curated web exhibitions, and in-person educational courses on old handwriting, genealogy, and house research. Distribution occurs through both a physical study hall (studiezaal) and a website at stadsarchief.breda.nl.

The business model is non-commercial. All archival services and collections are provided free of charge to the public (gratis toegankelijk), with funding sourced from the Municipality of Breda. Customer segments are horizontal and include family historians, property researchers, and academics. The archive's strategic positioning is anchored by its statutory mandate as the official municipal archive, partnerships with the Mondriaan Fonds, CBG, BHIC, and Transkribus, and incremental digitization of its historical holdings to expand public accessibility.

Name

Stadsarchief Breda

Legal name

Stadsarchief Breda

Website

https://stadsarchief.breda.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stadsarchief Breda is the municipal city archive of Breda, Netherlands, operating a free digital heritage platform that provides public access to over 700 years of historical records, 408,000+ digitized images, genealogical databases, cadastral records, and educational services for family historians, property researchers, and academics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Archives

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG), Document Scanning, Digitization & Archival Reproduction (Records, Transcripts, Microform) (EDAEAJAI), Records Digitization & Archiving (Legacy Files, Retention Support) (BPAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Archival services
• Historical records
• Genealogical research
• Cadastral archives
• Municipal archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Breda

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stadsarchief Breda collects, manages, and provides free public access to the historical archives of Breda and surrounding municipalities, spanning from 1280 to present. Core offerings include searchable genealogical databases, digitized notarial archives (1543-1810), cadastral records (from 1824), building dossiers, population registers, council minutes, and over 408,000 historical images and films. Access is provided through both a physical study hall and comprehensive digital platforms, with specialized tools including the Archiefviewer for cadastral mapping and Transkribus integration for AI-powered handwritten text recognition.

Product overview

Stadsarchief Breda operates a digital heritage platform providing free public access to the city's historical archives and collections. The core offering consists of searchable genealogical databases, digitized archival collections, and digital image repositories. The platform offers multiple interconnected collections including genealogical sources, cadastral maps, notarial archives, building dossiers, photos and films, newspapers, books, council records, and oral history materials. Supplementary services include Transkribus integration for handwritten text recognition, educational courses and workshops, and web-based exhibitions. The collections span from medieval records (1280) through modern municipal archives (1996), covering the municipality of Breda and surrounding historical areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Genealogical Sources [Genealogische bronnen] Searchable digital database of genealogical records including civil registry documents, population registers, and notarial archives, enabling users to search by name for family history research. Targeted at family historians and genealogists.
• Archiefviewer / Cadastral Viewer [Archiefviewer / Kadaster] Interactive digital tool for browsing cadastral maps and land ownership records, including minute plans from 1824 and associated owner information. Designed for property researchers and historians investigating land ownership.
• Building Dossiers [Bouwdossiers] Archive of building permits, construction drawings, and architectural reports for properties in Breda municipality, with pre-1996 documents digitized and available via request form. For property researchers and homeowners investigating building history.
• Photos and Films [Foto's en Films] Digital repository of over 408,000 historical images and moving pictures organized across seven collections including Breda Beeldcollectie, AKV|St. Joost, and audiovisual materials. For researchers, journalists, and general public interested in historical imagery.
• Notarial Archives [Notariële archieven] Digitized notarial records spanning from 1543-1810 for Breda and surrounding areas, with indexed party data available for searching through the genealogical sources database. For legal historians, genealogists, and property researchers.
• Council Minutes and Annual Reports [Raadsnotulen en jaarverslagen] Official municipal council minutes and annual reports documenting the governance and administration of Breda. For academic researchers, journalists, and citizens studying local government.
• Oral History Project / Breda Vertelt Oral history initiative documenting personal stories and memories of Breda's residents, including interviews with notable individuals such as Kees Wouters and Bob Entrop. For researchers, sociologists, and the general public.
• Web Exhibitions [Webexposities] Online curated exhibitions featuring historical content and narratives about Breda's heritage, including themed presentations like 'Dit beeld is ook van jou'. For general public and educational use.
• Courses and Workshops [Cursussen en workshops] Educational programs including handwriting analysis courses (Oud schrift), genealogy workshops, and house research training for users learning to use archival sources. For hobbyists, family historians, and amateur researchers.
• Transkribus Integration Access to the Transkribus platform for automated transcription and recognition of handwritten historical documents, linked to Stadsarchief Breda's account for document digitization. For researchers and historians working with handwritten primary sources.
• Address Books and Street Numbering [Adresboeken, wijk- en huisnummering] Historical address directories and concordances linking neighborhood numbering systems to street numbering, spanning from 1881-1965 with street-level overviews. For property researchers and historians investigating Breda's urban development.
• Newspapers [Kranten] Historical newspaper collection available for research and browsing through the library catalog. For historians, journalists, and general public researching local news history.
• Archived Websites [Gearchiveerde websites] Collection of archived websites documenting the digital history and online presence of Breda and its institutions. For digital historians and researchers studying the evolution of the city's online presence.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie (CBG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational center for family history that holds personal cards of all Dutch citizens who died between 1938-1994, serving as a referral point for researchers starting genealogical research

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FamilySearch: Free global genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A broader incumbent in the genealogy research space that competes for the same user attention.
• Nationaal Archief: National archive of the Netherlands based in The Hague, holding national-level government records. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same archival space, with overlapping but non-competing scope at the national level.

Regional players

• Erfgoed Brabant: Regional heritage organization for North Brabant focused on movable cultural heritage. Comparable in mission (regional heritage preservation) but with different collection focus.

Direct peers

• CBG Centrum voor familiegeschiedenis: National center for family history in the Netherlands, holding personal cards of Dutch citizens who died between 1938-1994. Direct partner and reference point for genealogy researchers using Stadsarchief Breda.
• BHIC (Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum): Regional historical information center for North Brabant, holding complementary archives (regional tax records, etc.). Active partner of Stadsarchief Breda and comparable in mission and audience.
• Het Utrechts Archief: City and regional archive of Utrecht, providing public access to historical records, civil registration, and notarial archives. Closely comparable in scale, function, and digital service model to Stadsarchief Breda.
• Stadsarchief Amsterdam: City archive of Amsterdam, also a municipal archive providing free public access to historical records, genealogical sources, and digitized collections. Directly comparable as a Dutch municipal archive with similar mandate, audience, and digital platform approach.
• Regionaal Archief Tilburg: Regional archive serving Tilburg and surrounding municipalities in North Brabant. Closest regional peer given shared North Brabant geography and similar mid-size municipal archive mandate.
• Stadsarchief Rotterdam: City archive of Rotterdam, offering genealogical sources, cadastral records, and building dossiers. Direct municipal peer with overlapping collections and services.

Emerging players

• Open Archives: Dutch aggregator of historical civil registration records from multiple municipal archives. Comparable as a discovery layer over the same type of records Stadsarchief Breda holds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCo9JZGQQ16O-jTHH89YwUiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Stadsarchief-Breda-624601574251564
• Instagraminstagram.com/stadsarchiefarcheologiebreda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadsarchief-breda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Stadsarchief Breda