Kriegsarchiv

Author: A member of the Global Vienna seminar

General information

Address: Nottendorfer Gasse 2, 1030 Vienna

Website: https://www.oesta.gv.at/ueber-uns/abteilungen/kriegsarchiv1.html

Contact: ka@oesta.gv.at

Brief history

The Kriegsarchiv (“War Archive”), presently a department of the Österreichisches Staatsarchiv (ÖStA; Austrian State Archives), was originally founded in 1711 as an archive at the Court War Council in the Habsburg Monarchy. The order of Emperor Joseph II in 1779 for the filing of military campaigns, as well as the demand of Archduke Carl’s demand in 1801 for the establishment of a military institution to promote intellectual standards, laid the groundwork for the k.k. Kriegsarchiv (Imperial-Royal War Archive), which was formally instituted on March 23, 1801. In 1889, the k.k. Kriegsarchiv was renamed the k.u.k. Kriegsarchiv (Imperial and Royal War Archive). During the First World War, the Kriegsarchiv was also responsible for press and propaganda work. The Kriegsarchiv has been a civil institution since 1918 and gained a wealth of new archive material following the collapse of the Monarchy after World War I. From 1938 to 1945, following Germany’s annexation of Austria, the Kriegsarchiv was made part of the German Army Administration. After the Second World War, the Kriegsarchiv became part of the newly established Austrian State Archive. The Kriegsarchiv is generally classified as a public institution, yet it also assumes the role of a research collection.

Holdings

The Kriegsarchiv’s holdings consist of thousands of files which are connected to the military history of the Habsburg Empire. The official documents kept in the Kriegsarchiv are mostly dated up to 1918. Other files can cover later periods, like the First and Second World War. Official documents aside, the Kriegsarchiv also holds a collection of 600,000 maps and plans, which is the largest map collection in Austria. It is also in possession of a picture collection containing about 400.000 objects. Besides the aforementioned objects, the Kriegsarchiv further houses an audio-visual collection, a collection regarding military legacies which covers hundreds of individuals that are deemed important toward the military history of the Habsburg Empire, but also a collection of leaflets and posters.

Structure and access

The Kriegsarchiv’s holdings comprise five broad thematic blocks: Personnel records from 1740 to 1918; field records of the Austrian armies from 1740 to the end of the First World War; the Supreme Command and central offices from 1557 to 1918; the Collection of the Navy and the Air Force; and, finally, various collections, including the map- and plan collection, the picture collection, and the military legacies. The files of the Kriegsarchiv are first organised into inventory groups, which are followed by another set of inventories and several sub-holdings. At the end, the files are stored in File Boxes.

The Kriegsarchiv can be visited at the Nottendorfer Gasse 2, in the 3^rd district of Vienna, by booking a seat in the reading room beforehand, which is possible via the website of the Austrian State Archives. When visiting the archive, it is necessary to register at the reception desk and pay a fee for a weekly pass to get access to the reading room. At the reading room, there is a printed inventory of the Kriegsarchiv and it is also possible to order scans, photocopies, microfilms, reader prints, colour copies and plan copies. The Archive Information System (AIS) allows one to research the inventory of all the departments of the Austrian State Archives before visiting the reading room. There are three ways to use the AIS: full-text search, field search and archive-plan search. The research can be quite difficult since the files of the Kriegsarchiv are ordered in inventories and several sub-groups and the naming of the files is also according to the order. Therefore, if one is unsure what files are needed, it is advisable to ask for the help of the employees to determine which files work for one’s needs. During research with the AIS, it is possible to pre-order archival material from the Kriegsarchiv via email by filling out the form “Archivgutbestellung an das Österreichische Staatsarchiv”, available on the Austrian State Archives website in the “Benutzung” section under “Schriftliche Anfragen”.

While the Kriegsarchiv is not fully available online, its catalogue can be browsed via the AIS, enabling researchers to identify relevant materials in advance of a visit. In addition to this catalogue, selected files have been digitised and can be accessed online. However, the majority of archival materials remain accessible only by ordering them through the AIS for consultation in the reading room. Due to Austria’s regulations on electronic filing in federal institutions (ELAK), the Austrian State Archives must also ensure the long-term preservation of digital records, just as it does for paper-based ones. As a result, the holdings of the Kriegsarchiv today comprise a mixture of digital files and traditional paper-based materials.

Connected collections

With regard to comparable Archives in Vienna, the k. u. k. Kriegsmarine Archiv (KMA; Archive of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Navy), the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (HGM; Museum of Military History) and the Technisches Museum Wien (TMW; Vienna Museum of Science and Technology) are worth mentioning. Since the Kriegsarchiv and KMA have significant parallels in their collections, they can complement each other. For example, the Kriegsarchiv is in possession of technical files from ships of the Austrian Navy that might be part of the KMA’s model boat collection. Therefore, consulting both Archives enables more comprehensive research on Austrian warships during the Monarchy.

In a different sense, the HGM also serves as a counterpart to the Kriegsarchiv. While both are collections on military history, he former preserves military objects ranging from the 16th century to the present, whereas the holdings of the latter focus mainly on documents materials created before 1918. Another institution closely connected to the Kriegsarchiv is the TMW. Like the KMA, the TMW contains holdings on Austrian naval history and also offers valuable perspectives on technological developments and achievements.

What makes this collection global?

The global-historical potential of the Kriegsarchiv lies in its ability to provide sources that document the worldwide reach of the Habsburg Empire. For instance, the Inventory Group Navy contains extensive files on the Peking Naval Detachment, which was deployed between 1899 and 1901 in response to the Boxer Rebellion in China to protect Austro-Hungarian authorities stationed there. Such files illustrate Austria-Hungary’s global presence, including its colonial aspirations. However, the holdings of the Kriegsarchiv contain only limited official documentation after 1918, even though some materials relating to later periods are preserved. Moreover, since the collection primarily consists of official records, researchers must also rely on additional scholarly literature not available in the Archive in order to contextualise these sources appropriately.

The central focus of the Kriegsarchiv lies on Austria’s military history in its historical context, such as the First World War or the Nazi period from 1938 to 1945. Its audio-visual collection preserves material from these eras. The Archive also holds files relating to Austria’s colonial ambitions and overseas involvement, which will be highlighted through the object discussed in this contribution. Beyond this, the Kriegsarchiv’s wide chronological scope includes extensive material on the Habsburg Empire. Naval history constitutes another major focus: the inventory group “Navy” documents Austria’s maritime forces, including their role in scientific expeditions, which further underscores the global dimension of the Archive’s holdings.

The source selected from the Kriegsarchiv is a travel report of the SMS Albatros, which sailed to the Solomon Islands in 1896. as part of a “scientific expedition,” which was actually a colonial mission aiming to locate and eventually occupy indigenous land suitable for nickel mining. However, the expedition faced resistance from indigenous peoples on the island of Guadalcanal in which three crew members were killed. The Austro-Hungarian navy then erected a memorial cross for the crew members on the island; today, the KMA (see above) holds a model depicting this cross. The report describes the Austrian expedition’s arrival on Guadalcanal, the march to their permanent camp, and the subsequent attack by local indigenous peoples. It also contains several sketches: one shows the view of Mount Tanube from the camp; another depicts the campsite, the route toward the summit, and the place where the attack occurred; the final sketch illustrates the route from the SMS Albatros into the island’s interior.

This travel report is a significant source for Austrian global history, as it documents Austria-Hungary’s little-known attempts to establish a presence in the South Pacific. The mission must also be understood in the context of Austria’s colonial ambitions, as it was motivated by the search for potential nickel deposits in the region. This report was part of the official presentation of the mission as a scientific enterprise, masking the underlying economic and imperial interests.

This also illustrates the limitations of the report as a source: What it discloses are the perspectives and experiences of the Austrian expedition, recorded in an official, Eurocentric framework. It highlights their route, observations of the landscape, and encounters with indigenous peoples, but these are filtered through the gaze of the explorers. What it hides are the voices, motivations, and perspectives of the Solomon Islanders themselves, who appear only as a threatening presence in the narrative. The sketches, too, reinforce this imbalance, visualizing the geography and the expedition’s progress while silencing indigenous agency and eschewing interpretations of the conflict. As such, the source not only reflects Austria’s global ambitions but also the asymmetry inherent in colonial documentation.

Further reading

Tepperberg, Christoph. “Quellen zur Genealogischen Forschung im Kriegsarchiv Wien.” Vienna: Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, 2014. Accessed June 8, 2026. https://www.oesta.gv.at/dam/jcr:11904403-cdc8-4694-be82-c59c80ebf3cd/Genealogie%20im%20Kriegsarchiv%20(05%2012%202014).pdf