The Berlin Cathedral Archive goes online

Centuries-old official charters, church books, more than 3,000 sermons and huge quantities of construction documentation – countless treasures spanning 500 years of Cathedral history are all stored in the Cathedral's archives. Anyone interested can now also search our resources online. 

By visiting www.domarchiv-berlin.findbuch.net anyone with an interest in the history of Berlin Cathedral will be given an overview of exactly what can be found in the Cathedral archives. When looking at the menu item “Inventory 26 – Cathedral construction management” from the year 1891, you can see “cost estimates for the demolition of the old cathedral and for the transfer of the sarcophagi from the Hohenzollern family crypt”. Baptism registers, burial registers, directories of parish members, construction documentation and much more are held in original copy in climate-controlled facilities in the archive rooms situated beneath the Cathedral roof.

73 official charters represent the special highlight of the online resources. All official charters that are stored in the Cathedral archive can be found on the new portal along with a picture and a detailed description. The oldest document dates back to the year 1409.

Anyone wishing to view the other collections can now search online without delay for the respective number, and then book an appointment with the Cathedral Archiver Yves A. Pillep. Approximately half of all Cathedral records have been made accessible by Pillep in recent years. He is currently in the process of working through inventories that date after 1945.

The attached image has been approved for publication. This is revealed by the official charter signed by Elector Jobst dated 29 September 1409, which confirms the creation of a chapel in St. Peter's Church, Cölln.