The purpose of the National Archival Database, NAD, is to provide access to archival descriptions of records and private papers in archives, libraries and museums in Sweden. NAD is based on information on the archival creators – corporate bodies, persons and families – with basic data on their records and collections:
Finding aids from the state archives are available within the NAD system. Links are provided to finding aids on line at other sites.
In 2006, NAD contains data on archival creators from
NAD is also providing a complete register of all archives in Sweden, including archives within libraries, museums, local authorities, and other organizations. This register now contains contact information and links to home pages of more than 700 archives.
The site also contains a guide to the history of local administration in Sweden and links to other archival resources.
The main access points in the interface of NAD are
The names of persons and corporate bodies are chosen as the primary access points, and it is possible to search on any part of the name. Using the extended search form gives you the possibility to further define your search by including dates of existence, localities, and certain categories of entities, such as state or municipal agencies, companies, private organizations and person. Free text search is also available.
The system includes also a file of administrative geographic units of Sweden throughout history. It consists of names of all Swedish parishes, communes and counties, as well as military and judicial areas. The records are linked to each other, so that you can, for instance, in a parish records see the superior units, turn over to one of those and see all the subordinate units. These links have also dates documenting the historical changes in geographic divisions. From these records search can be made on persons and corporate bodies related to these places and regions. The system is based on official codes for parishes and regions supplemented with codes for historical units.
Search can be carried out simultaneously on top-level descriptions from all data providers. In the case of the State Archives, complete finding aids are available for search and retrieval. The plan is to develop a common search portal that will include upcoming archival websites in Sweden.
READ MORE on the background, standards and features of NAD