Address: Marulićev trg 21, Zagreb 10 000, Croatia
Phone: (+385 1) 4801-999
Website: http://www.arhiv.hr
E-mail: info@arhiv.hr
Year Established: 1870
Researching Family History at HDA
Before visiting the archive, it is recommended to gather as much information as possible about your family history: names and surnames of ancestors, dates and places of birth or death, and similar details. Speak with family members who might have knowledge or older family documents. Learn about the history of the town or village your family comes from, its parish, and administrative affiliations. Such background often helps identify the sources you need to consult.
Make a list of potential sources, determine where they are preserved, and confirm whether they still exist. Contact the institution holding the documents to verify information before visiting. Scheduling your visit in advance saves time and allows staff to prepare the relevant materials. Familiarize yourself with the rules for using archival materials and the reading room hours. Questions about parish registers, heraldic collections, or other topics can be sent to info@arhiv.hr.
HDA maintains records on all parish registers across Croatia and can provide guidance on where they are kept and how to access them.
Parish Registers (Matične knjige) at HDA
The HDA parish register collection (Accession HR‑HDA‑883) consists of 2,186 volumes documenting births (and baptisms), marriages, and deaths dating from the 17th to the 20th century, primarily for northwestern Croatia and to a lesser degree for Slavonia and the Croatian coast.
Until 1946, parish registers were created and maintained by religious communities, so researchers need to know the faith and parish of the family being researched. The collection includes volumes for Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Greek Catholics, and other confessions, organized both by religious affiliation and alphabetically by origin.
In addition to the original books, HDA holds the Supplementary Microfilms collection (HR‑HDA‑1448), which contains microfilms and family lists covering most surviving parish registers from 1516 to 1947 and includes material from across Croatia and some Catholic registers from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Microfilms and associated place‑based databases are available for consultation in the main reading room.
Additional holdings include:
- Parish index books (parice): 147 boxes, 227 books (covering northern and eastern Croatia)
- Status animarum (population registers): 25 books from 17 parishes
- Records of Catholic parish registers across Croatia (excluding Osijek, Split, and Zadar) for the period up to 1945, covering 1,060 parishes
Many of these parish registers are microfilmed (both by HDA since 1984 and previously by the Mormon Church), with digital access now available through FamilySearch. HDA also maintains a database of parish registers by location: ARHiNET – Search Parish Registers
Heraldic Collections
- Collection of noble charters (grbovnice) and family coats of arms: 1434–1918, arranged alphabetically by surname. Includes grants of nobility from Hungarian-Croatian rulers, various forms of nobility, baronial and comital grants. Separate collections (county or individual family holdings) are not included here.
- Collection of charters transcripts: 1542–1780, four books containing nobility grants from that period.
- Collection of coats of arms of Croatian and Slavonian families: 1840–1883, includes transcripts of the manuscript armorial by Ivan Labaš-Blaškovečki and heraldic works by Ivan Kukuljević, with drawings of coats of arms of families, civic and church leaders, and towns.
State Archives of Bjelovar (Državni arhiv u Bjelovaru)
Address: Trg Eugena Kvaternika 6, Bjelovar, Croatia
Phone: (+385 43) 244 487, 220 488
Website: http://www.dabj.hr
E-mail: pisarnica@dabj.hr
Territorial Jurisdiction
The archive’s jurisdiction covers three counties: Bjelovar-Bilogora, and parts of Koprivnica-Križevci and Zagreb counties. Although the State Archives in Križevci was established in 2008, it is not yet fully operational, so the State Archives in Bjelovar continues its activities in the Koprivnica-Križevci area.
Currently, the archive is responsible for the cities of Bjelovar, Čazma, Daruvar, Garešnica, Grubišno Polje, Đurđevac, Vrbovec, and Križevci, and the municipalities of Berek, Dubrava, Dežanovac, Đulovac, Farkaševac, Gradec, Hercegovac, Ivanska, Kapela, Končanica, Nova Rača, Preseka, Rakovec, Rovišće, Severin, Sirač, Šandrovac, Štefanje, Velika Pisanica, Veliki Grđevac, Velika Trnovitica, Veliko Trojstvo, Zrinski Topolovac, Kalnik, Sveti Ivan Žabno, and Sveti Petar Orehovec.
Church Records (Parish Registers)
The State Archives in Bjelovar preserves parish registers of Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Evangelicals from its jurisdiction in special collections. These include registers of baptisms (births), marriages, and deaths, as well as certain parish index books (mostly for Orthodox communities) covering the period 1858–1946. Older registers are generally held by the Croatian State Archives or, more rarely, by individual parish offices.
The entire collection in Bjelovar has been microfilmed at the Croatian State Archives and is partially digitized, which helps protect these valuable historical records from loss. Ongoing digitization initiatives mean that more parish records are gradually becoming digitally accessible, though some content still requires onsite consultation or formal request.
Lists of parish registers (updated in June 2024) for each religious community can be searched through PDF documents under the section Zbirka matičnih knjiga.
State Archives of Dubrovnik (Državni arhiv u Dubrovniku)
Sv. Dominika 1
20000 Dubrovnik
+385 020 642 960
dad@dad.hr
www.dad.hr
Državni arhiv u Dubrovniku Sabirni arhivski centar Metković-Opuzen-Ploče
A. Hebranga 4, 20350 Metković
+385 020 690 733
dad@dad.hr
Državni arhiv u Dubrovniku Sabirni arhivski centar Žrnovo na otoku Korčuli
Mratin-Kampuš, 20275 Žrnovo
+385 020 721 520
020 721 521
dad@dad.hr
Arhiv Dubrovacke biskupije Archives of the Dubrovnik Diocese (Arhiv Dubrovačke Biskupije)
Državni arhiv u Gospiću
Kaniška 17
53000 Gospić
+385 053 560 440
053 560 441
info@arhiv-gospic.hr
www.arhiv-gospic.hr
Državni arhiv u Karlovcu
Ljudevita Šestića 5
47000 Karlovac
+385 047 412 366; 412 361
047 412 362
daka-arhiv@ka.t-com.hr
www.da-ka.hr
Državni arhiv za Međimurje
Štrigova 102
40312 Štrigova
+385 040 312 600
040 312 600
dram@dram.hr
www.dram.hr
Državni arhiv u Osijeku
Kamila Firingera 1
31000 Osijek
+385 031 207 240
031 200 337
dao@dao.hr
www.dao.hr
Državni arhiv u Pazinu
Vladimira Nazora 3
52000 Pazin
+385 052 624 077
052 624 472
dapa@dapa.hr
www.dapa.hr
Državni arhiv u Požegi
Županijska 13
34000 Požega
+385 034 272 695
dapz@dapz.hr
www.dapz.hr
Državni arhiv u Rijeci
Park Nikole Hosta 2
51000 Rijeka
+385 051 336 445
051 336 447
pisarnica@riarhiv.hr
www.riarhiv.hr
Državni arhiv u Rijeci Sabirni arhivski centar u Senju
Strmac 3, 53270 Senj
+385 053 882 006
pisarnica@riarhiv.hr
Državni arhiv u Sisku
Frankopanska 21
44000 Sisak
+385 044 525 060; 525 069
044 540 860
info@dask.hr
www.dask.hr
Državni arhiv u Sisku Sabirni centar Petrinja
Ivana Gundulića 1, 44250 Petrinja
+385 044 815 261
044 815 261
sac.petrinja@dask.hr
Državni arhiv u Slavonskom Brodu
Augusta Cesarca 1
35000 Slavonski Brod
+385 035 446 573
035 404 040
dasb@dasb.hr
www.dasb.hr
Državni arhiv u Slavonskom Brodu Odjel u Novoj Gradiški
Trg kralja Tomislava 1, 35400 Nova Gradiška
+385 035 361 053
Državni arhiv u Splitu
Ulica glagoljaša 18
21000 Split
+385 021 348 914
021 344 206
administracija@das.hr
www.das.hr
Državni arhiv u Šibeniku
Velimira Škorpika 6/A
22000 Šibenik
+385 022 312 514
Državni arhiv u Varaždinu
Koprivnička ulica 51
42000 Varaždin
+385 042 332 500
042 332 508
dav@dav.hr
www.dav.hr
Državni arhiv u Varaždinu Arhivski sabirni centar Koprivnica
Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 6, 48000 Koprivnica
+385 048 642 154
048 642 154
dav@dav.hr
Državni arhiv u Varaždinu Arhivski sabirni centar Krapina
Dvor Popovec,Velika Ves 137, 49224 Lepajci
+385 049 342 202
049 342 202
dav@dav.hr
Državni arhiv u Virovitici
Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 24
33000 Virovitica
+385 033 801 900
033 801 902
arhiv.virovitica@vt.t-com.hr
www.davt.hr
Državni arhiv u Vukovaru
Županijska 66
32000 Vukovar
+385 032 425 195
032 450 066
drzavni.arhiv.vu@davu.hr
www.davu.hr
Državni arhiv u Vukovaru Arhivski sabirni centar u Vinkovcima
Duga 2, 32100 Vinkovci
+385 032 333 931; 331 695
032 331 695
drzavni.arhiv.vu@davu.hr
Državni arhiv u Zadru
Ruđera Boškovića 1
23000 Zadar
+385 023 211 530
023 214 908
dazd@dazd.hr
www.dazd.hr
Državni arhiv u Zadru Arhivski sabirni centar u Novalji
Dalmatinska 16, 53291 Novalja
+385 053 663 216
Državni arhiv u Zagrebu
Opatička 29
10000 Zagreb
+385 01 4807 150
01 4807 157
info@daz.hr
www.daz.hr
Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog rata
Marulićev trg 21
10000 Zagreb
+385 01 4801 915
01 4828 268
centar@centardomovinskograta.hr
www.centardomovinskograta.hr
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Map to Church Records in FamilySearch
Google Maps pathfinder made by Lee Steiner, September 2024
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1rVB91vxhtEac7mRAlQjolWDHlIGpiwY&hl=nl&ehbc=2E312F&w=640&h=480]
Ex-Yu Genealogy 