Guido Gezellestraat 1 8500 KORTRIJK West-Flanders Tel: +32 (0)56 22 10 23 Fax: +32 (0)56 20 57 42 Rijksarchief.Vlaanderen@arch.be Michel Nuyttens, head of section, head of department i.a.

The State Archives keep records from archive creators subject to public or private law. The dispersion of the records among the different archive repositories is based on the place of settlement or business of the archive creator. The State Archives in Beveren serve as central depository for the records of the contemporary period created by courts and tribunals, federal and Flemish external services, and large business archives from all of Flanders.

The primary archive creators of public law are the central authorities of the former principalities (for example the Council of States of Flanders in Ghent), the provincial authorities, notaries public, regional and local government bodies (aldermanship, communes, social welfare centres (CPAS/OCMW), church councils) insofar the preservation of the records is not taken care of by a local archive service. Archive creators of private law primarily count ecclesiastical institutions (abbeys, cloisters, old church councils, chapels, guest houses, beadhouses, etc.), individuals, families, firms, associations and cooperatives that played a major role in the economic and social life of the country.

Each State Archives repository also keeps various collections (of maps and plans for instance). At every repository (except at the State Archives in Ghent) microfilms and photocopies of parish registers, civil status registers, population registers, alderman deeds, notarial records etc. can be consulted.