Slovak National Archives (SNA) - Department of New Fonds and Collections

The department was founded on 1 July 1993 by the integration of the former departments of history of capitalism and history of socialism. At present, the department has in custody 351 archival fonds of central legislative and governmental bodies from the periods of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the Slovak Republic and the post-war period of Czecho-Slovakia between 1918 and 1968, totalling 23,818 linear shelving metres.

The most important and the most frequently-used archival materials from the period between 1918 and 1939 are considered: the Minister of Czechoslovak Republic with Full Authorisation for Administration of Slovakia (1918-1927), the Provincial Office in Bratislava (1928-1939), as well as departments, branch offices and sections of central ministries for the territory of Slovakia from the period between 1919 and 1928, and a part of the fonds of the State Land Office in Prague (1919-1938), series concerning the first land reform in Slovakia.

From the period of the existence of the Slovak Republic between 1939 and 1945, the archives holds in the first place the following archival fonds: the Assembly of the Slovak Republic, the Prime Minister’s Office, the President’ Office, ministries of the Slovak Republic, Central Economics Office, Police Headquarters Office in Bratislava, Headquarters of the State Security and the State Land Office in Bratislava.

From the period after 1945, fundamental archive materials include the Slovak National Council, the Board of Commissioners, in the first place its particular commissions, and other central state institutions in Slovakia. Specific problems of agriculture and forestry can be consulted in the collections of the Central Administration of Public Foundations Properties (1919-1954), Central Directorate of State Forest and Property ([1937] 1938-1945 [1948]), Fund for Administration of the Agriculture Properties (1942-1948 [1951]), and other fonds.

From the preserved documentation of financial institutions, the most frequently consulted is the archival fonds of the Tatra Bank (1884-1950).

For the study of the history of the Church, researchers find most useful the archival fonds of the Slovak Office for Church Affairs([1926] 1949-1956 [1958]) and the Slovak Ecclesiastic Fund (1944-1959). The most valuable data of demographic character can be found in the documents of the census schedules of 1930, 1940, 1950, 1961.

From the list of the most interesting documents, the materials of political parties such as Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party (1921-1945), the Party of Slovak National Unity ([1919] 1939-1947 [1958]), Democratic Party (1925-1945 [1948] and others deserve mention.

In addition to fundamental archival fonds and collections, the department makes custody of various sources of the same importance for historical research. Archival documents of the fonds registered in the department enable us to learn about the history of the country and state, the history of the Church, the history and development of political parties, communities, associations, movements, the social migration of the population, the history of companies, land reforms, the deportation of Jews, the socialisation and industrialisation of Slovakia in the 1950s, the construction of important hydroelectric power stations, the history and development of state administration, the demarcation of Slovak borders, the life and activities of Slovak personalities, etc.

A lot of files are used in administration and serve as information sources to search facts for land appropriation, confiscation of property, nationalisation of firms, enterprises and companies, deportations of inhabitants, certificates of citizenship, granting or denial of citizenship, etc. Unfortunately, at present only half of the overall archival documents kept by this department is accessible for research purposes.

A Guide to Archival Fonds and Collections to the Department of the History of Capitalism (Sprievodca po archívnych fondoch II. Oddelenie kapitalizmu) (the predecessor of the present ONF) serves researchers as a basic synthetic finding aid.