The MUHBA General Archive
The Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA)'s General Archive is the result of a long description and normalisation project initiated in 2021, which mobilised all sections of the museum in order to compile, organise and describe the materials and documents generated by the institution since it opened.
The project is being presented to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the museum, meeting the twofold objective of preserving the history of the institution and promoting and facilitating research.
>> What does MUHBA's General Archive contain?
The Archive contains both digital and physical resources concerning the history of Barcelona, its archaeological and monumental heritage as well as aspects of museological and cultural management. This includes all the information concerning Barcino and the city's late antiquity, the Jewish ghetto and the Plaça del Rei monumental site, subjects that have been worked on intensely during the 80 years of the MUHBA's existence.
It also contains all the documents pertaining to the museum's collections, the heritage sites it manages, and each of the institution's areas of work and knowledge, from the museum's management to its areas of research, exhibitions and publications, among others, as well as its international projection.
Some of the collected records are of special significance, such as the Archaeological Archive, based on the artefacts discovered during archaeological digs in Barcelona, and which have therefore become a privileged resource for archaeological activities and research.
Other archives that may be consulted include the Padellàs Archive, which contains historical documents from the family that owned the building currently housing the museum. The Verdaguer Archive, which contains a large number of photographs, as well as documents from the old Verdaguer Museum.
>> Consult the MUHBA's General Archive
In order to facilitate consultation, a schematic view of the various available registers is published online (in Catalan), indicating the appropriate URL and the access conditions or limitations in each case.
In order to consult restricted-access registers, it is necessary to contact museuhistoria@bcn.cat, indicating the register of interest, the purpose of the consultation and the applicant's contact details (name and email).
Consultation of no-access registers is limited because they contain information of a personal or confidential nature. However, specific queries concerning these registers may be addressed to the museum, which will be dealt with in the best possible way.
Consultations of physical and restricted-access documents must be arranged via appointment and the applicant must sign an undertaking agreement.
Access to the Library Catalogue