Arxiu Municipal de Barcelona

We manage more than 50 kilometres of paper documents, over three million photographs and thousands of graphic, audiovisual, electronic and sound files.

We are the Barcelona Municipal Archives (AMB) and our task is to preserve our city’s documentary heritage, ensuring its conservation and actively disseminating this thousand-year-old heritage.

We are a team of professional experts in archive document management, conservation and dissemination. We organise, describe, take care of, disseminate and facilitate access to documents ranging from the oldest parchment to new, digitally produced documents.

We work in a network of specialised centres spread around the city: 

• the Historic Archives of the City of Barcelona (AHCB), Open in a new window
• the Barcelona Contemporary Municipal Archives (AMCB), Open in a new window
• the Barcelona Photographic Archives (AFB), Open in a new window
• the District Municipal Archives Open in a new window,
• land the central archives of sectors, businesses, municipal institutes and autonomous bodies. Open in a new window

We put the knowledge of Barcelona’s heritage at your disposal, dealing with over 70,000 users in person every year and receiving thousands of visits and enquiries to our website and other online resources.

The Municipal Archives are a local authority tool

In more technical terms, we are responsible for the following functions:

• Establishing Barcelona City Council’s document management criteria.
• Promoting the right of access to documents, to guarantee the legal security of every citizen and the local authority itself.
• Ensuring transparency, accountability to the citizens and active publicity of archive documents.