Significance and preservation of private archives in Slovenia

Abstract

In all European countries there are both public and private archives, public and private archival records. Which archives are public and which are private is determined individually by country itself. In Slovenia we distinguish three periods in which private archives had completely different meaning. In the first period until 1945, private archival records were the only wealth of the first archival institutions. In the second period from the end of the Second World War to Slovene independence, archival legislation and law was created. With public property private archives had only a negligible role. In the third period, after 1991 and the independence of Slovenia, the introduction of parliamentary democracy and the market economy, the new state and social order also brought a new attitude towards private property and, accordingly, archival law. But the current legislation in no way follows the new realities and needs. In the course of modern privatization processes, it will be necessary to reconsider, re-define and appropriately protect private archival records.