Prague City Archives
A department of Prague City Hall responsible for preserving, processing, and providing access to records documenting the history of Prague.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Prague City Archives, known in Czech as Archiv hlavního města Prahy, is the municipal archival institution of Prague and a department of Prague City Hall. Its principal role is to collect, preserve, organize, describe, and make available records that document the historical development of the city from the Middle Ages to the modern period. In this capacity, it serves both as a working public archive and as a major center for research into Prague’s political, administrative, social, economic, religious, cultural, and urban history. The institution was established as an independent specialized archive in 1851. It was initially located on the ground floor of Prague’s Old Town Hall, a setting closely connected with the city’s medieval and early modern administrative history. A major disruption occurred on 8 May 1945, when the Old Town Hall was damaged by fire during the final days of the Second World War. Part of the archive was destroyed, although most of the most important historical records had been evacuated to locations outside Prague and therefore survived. After the war, the archive moved to the Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague’s Old Town. The palace subsequently proved too small for the growing body of material, leading to the dispersal of archival holdings among eight buildings, including facilities outside the capital. A purpose-built archive building was completed in 1997 in Prague’s Chodov district. The relocation provided the institution with a more suitable environment for the storage and administration of its expanding holdings. The Clam-Gallas Palace continues to have a role connected with the archives, serving as a venue for cultural events and conferences organized by the institution. The archive administers approximately 19,000 linear metres of archival material, in addition to about 3,000 linear metres of books, newspapers, and magazines. Its manuscript holdings include 8,427 official books associated with the four medieval Prague towns, together with several hundred literary, religious, scientific, and academic manuscripts. The collections also contain more than 200,000 parchment and paper documents. Its specialized library holds more than 150,000 items focused chiefly on the history of Prague and aspects of the city’s contemporary life. The oldest identified document in the holdings is the Bohnice Authentica, dated to 1158. The Prague City Archives operates within the Czech archival and municipal information system alongside national and other specialized repositories. Together with the National Archives of the Czech Republic, it is regarded as one of the largest and most important archival institutions in Bohemia. Its public-facing role includes enabling historical research, supporting the administration of Prague, maintaining documentary heritage, and presenting archival knowledge through cultural programming and related activities. As an institution rather than a commercial consumer brand, its value is defined by the authenticity, continuity, accessibility, and preservation of the city’s documentary record.
History
The Prague City Archives was created in 1851 as an independent specialized institution serving the documentary needs of Prague. Its first location was the ground floor of the Old Town Hall, where it remained associated with the historic center of municipal administration. The archive’s holdings grew over time as records from Prague’s governing bodies, predecessor municipalities, institutions, and civic life were preserved and organized. The most serious documented interruption in its history came on 8 May 1945, when a fire damaged the Old Town Hall. Some archival material was lost, but the majority of the historical documents had been evacuated outside Prague before the fire and consequently survived. In the postwar period, the archives were transferred to the Clam-Gallas Palace in the Old Town. The palace offered a historically significant location, but it could not accommodate the continuing growth of the collections. The archive therefore operated from eight separate buildings, with some facilities situated beyond Prague. To resolve the shortage of appropriate storage and working space, a new archive building was constructed in 1997 in Chodov, a district of Prague. This purpose-built facility became the principal home for the archive’s extensive holdings and administrative functions. The Clam-Gallas Palace was retained for cultural use and became a venue for events and conferences organized by the Prague City Archives. The institution’s collections cover Prague’s development from the medieval period to the present. They include municipal books, manuscripts, administrative records, parchment and paper documents, printed materials, newspapers, magazines, and a substantial specialist library. The collection of official books connected with the four medieval Prague towns is particularly significant, while the Bohnice Authentica, dating from 1158, is identified as the oldest document held by the archive. In its contemporary role, the Prague City Archives combines preservation, archival processing, research support, and public access. It is a department of Prague City Hall and therefore also forms part of the city’s institutional infrastructure. At the same time, the scale and historical depth of its collections give it national importance. Alongside the National Archives of the Czech Republic, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important archival institutions in Bohemia. Its work supports scholarship on Prague, municipal administration, cultural heritage, and public understanding of the city’s history.
- 1997
Purpose-built Chodov archive building
[1]A new archive building was completed in Prague’s Chodov district to provide improved space for the institution’s collections and operations.
- 1945
Old Town Hall fire
[1]A fire on 8 May damaged the Old Town Hall and destroyed part of the archive, while most historical documents survived because they had been evacuated.
- 1945
Postwar move to Clam-Gallas Palace
[1]After the war, the archives were housed in Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague’s Old Town.
- 1851
Establishment as an independent archive
[1]The Prague City Archives was founded as an independent specialized institution and located at the Old Town Hall.
Oldest identified document in the holdings
[1]The Bohnice Authentica, dated to 1158, is identified as the oldest document preserved by the Prague City Archives.
Products and positioning
A municipal heritage and research institution focused on the long-term preservation and public use of Prague’s documentary record.
Archival holdings
Municipal archival collections
The archive preserves records documenting Prague from the Middle Ages through the present. The holdings include administrative and municipal records, documents from Prague’s historical towns, manuscripts, parchment and paper records, and materials relating to the city’s political, social, religious, economic, and cultural development.
Manuscripts and registers
Medieval Prague town books
A major specialist collection consists of 8,427 official books associated with the four medieval Prague towns. These records provide evidence of urban administration and civic life and form an important foundation for research into Prague’s medieval and early modern history.
Library services
Specialized Prague-history library
The archive maintains a large reference library of more than 150,000 books, newspapers, and magazines. Its focus is chiefly the history of Prague and the city’s present-day life, complementing the archival records with published scholarship and contemporary printed sources.
Archival services
Research and public access services
The institution processes and makes its materials available for historical research and other legitimate uses. Its access role connects preserved records with scholars, municipal users, cultural organizations, and members of the public interested in Prague’s documentary heritage.
Cultural programming
Cultural events and conferences
The Prague City Archives organizes cultural events and conferences, including programming associated with Clam-Gallas Palace. These activities extend the institution’s role beyond storage and research by presenting archival history and Prague’s heritage to wider audiences.
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