Archival group of the Danish overseas trading companies,
kept in the Danish National Archives
1.2 Country: Denmark
1.3 State, province or region: Denmark,
Copenhagen
1.4 Address: Rigsarkivet, Rigsdagsgaarden
9, DK-1218 København K, Denmark
1.5 Name of Institution: Rigsarkivet
(i.e. Danish National Archives/DNA).
2. Legal Information
2.1 Owner: DNA
2.2 Custodian: Birgit Løgstrup,
Director of Public Department
2.3 Legal Status:
a) Category of ownership: Public,
the Danish State
b) Preservation: Common archival
care, managed by the DNA
c) Accessibility: Free public
access and use in the reading room
d) Copyright status: No copyright
restrictions, under the obligation to refer to correct source
2.4 Responsible Administration: DNA,
an institution under the Danish Ministry of Culture.
3. Identification
3.1 Description
and inventory:
General information:
All of the 130 km of records belonging to the Danish
National Archives are unique. The collections cover the period 1186 (papal
brief from Urban III) to 1995 (municipal electronic register of financial
support of housing and loan system). They consist of the records of the
Danish Royal Family, the civilian and military central administration,
law courts, private persons and institutions. The media are parchment,
paper, film, micro fiche and electronic. The archives up to 1990 are registrated
in "Rigsarkivet og hjælpemidler til dets benyttelse" (The Danish
national Archives and supplementary Aid to Use) (9 volumes, Copenhagen
1983-1992), to which is connected a long series of special registrations
for the 18th century till now.
Archives groups of interest to foreign countries:
Relations to foreign countries (European states,
Russia, Turkey-1770. Later than 1770 in addition North African states (Algeria,
Morocco, Tripoli and Tunisia) and American states (USA, Argentina, Brazil,
Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela). After 1848 - especially towards
the end of the 19th century the number of countries with Danish delegations
were extended to other parts of the world as well - Asia and Australia.
Archives concerning trade companies (Iceland-1788,
the Finmark-1788, Greenland-1908/1986 and the Faeroe Islands-1856, Asia
1670-1838, Africa and the West Indies 1671-1816.
The archive of The Missionary Society (Greenland
and East India).
The Local Archives of the West Indies (1675-1917).
The Danish Missionary (1821) and private missionary
societies.
The archives mentioned above and several others are
- besides being registered in "Rigsarkivet og hjælpemidler til dets
benyttelse" (The Danish State Archives and Supplementary Aid to Use) 9
volumes, Copenhagen 1983-1992 - registered in "Sources of the history of
North Africa, Asia and Oceania og Denmark" by C. Rise Hansen, K.G. Saur,
Munich, New York, London, Paris 1980, 842 pp. Published under the auspices
of UNESCO.
The archival group of the Danish overseas trading
companies
This fonds includes first and foremost the Danish
East India Company 1670-1730, the Danish Asiatic Company 1730-1827, archives
of the Danish West India and Guinea Company 1671-1755, the Danish Guinea
Company 1765-1778, and the Danish West India Trading Company 1778-1816.
It consists of around 4000 protocols and bundles and includes royal charters,
copybooks, letters, instructions, accounts, files on employees, ship's
logs, maps, etc..
Rise Hansen, Sources of the History of North Africa, Asia
and Oceania in Denmark, (= Guides to the Sources for the History of Nations
Ser. 3 Vol. 3), München, 1980
3.3. Visual documentation: http:www.sa.dk
3.4 History: The archival group
has come to the DNA after the winding up of the companies.
3.5 Bibliography
Ole Feldbæk, the Organization and Structure of the
Danish East India, West India and
Guinea Companies in the 17 and 18th Centuries,
(in Leonard Blussé & Femme Gaastra, eds., Companies and Trade,
Leiden, 1981)
Ole Feldbæk, ed., Danske handelskompagnier 1616-1843.
Oktrojer og interne ledelsesregler, Copenhagen, 1986 (i.e. source edition
of charters and by-laws) Erik Gøbel, Danske oversøiske handelskompagnier
i 17. og 18. århundrede, (in Fortid og Nutid vol. 28, 1980) (i.e.
survey of research on the Danish overseas trading companies)
Erik Gøbel, the Danish West India Company Records
in the Danish National Archives, (= Society of Virgin Islands Historians,
Occasional Papers vol. 1), Christiansted, St. Croix, 1989
Wilhelm von Rosen, ed., Rigsarkivet og hjælpemidlerne
til dets benyttelse, I:1-2, Copenhagen, 1983 (i.e general introduction
to the DNA)
3.6 Names ... Expert Knowledge
(a) Birgit Løgstrup, DNA
(b) Erik Gøbel, DNA
(c) Ole Feldbæk, University of Copenhagen,
Institute of History, Njalsgade 102, DK-2300 Copenhagen.
4. Management Plan
The records are covered by the normal procedures
for preservation and handling of the holdings of the DNA. Preservation
of documents of museum value is carried out, while it is attempted to secure
longer series of records via safety photographing. Certain parts of the
archival group are in such a bad state of preservation, especially due
to the impact of the tropical climate in which they have been created,
that they are not allowed to be taken to the reading room. Parts of the
archival group have been microfilmed already. Copies from the films are
for sale or may be lent out for use outside the DNA. Other parts of the
group may be microfilmed for a modest fee.
5.
Assessment against the Selection Criteria: Cf.
Section 3.1
6. Consultation
6.1 Details of Consultation
(a) Owner
- DNA
(b) Custodian - Birgit
Løgstrup, Director of Public Department, DNA
7. Nominator
7.1 Name: DNA
7.2 Relationship to Documentary Heritage: Owner
7.3 Contacts Person: Birgit
Løgstrup, Director of Public Department, DNA