The State Archives of Debrecen – the predecessor of the National Archives of
Hungary's Hajdú-Bihar County Archives – was established in 1952 by the integration of
the three municipality's archives: Debrecen city, Bihar and Hajdú counties. In 1968,
after a 17-year-old state history, the archives were returned to the counties, and after
that, the State Archives of Debrecen has functioned as the Hajdu-Bihar County
Archives. In 1981, a branch archive was established in Hajdúböszörmény where the
Hajdú district's documents were returned to. In effect from 1st January 2012, the
Archives returned to state maintenance, and the National Archives of Hungary was created on 1st October of the same year. Thereby, the institutional autonomy of the
county archives ceased, but the contents of public service provision have not changed.
The documentary materials of the Archives allow an insight to the history of
Debrecen city and the former counties of Hajdú and Bihar since 1950, Hajdú-Bihar
county and its settlements.
The Archives maintains a research service at three places. The researchers have the
opportunity to get photo- and digital copies, or to take photos of the documents.
The Archives, operating also as a scientific institution since 1969, takes care of
several series besides the special publications; and since 1973, it organizes the Archives
Day of Hajdú-Bihar County Archives, as well as numerous conferences and smaller
events associated with the institute. Within and outside the borderlines of the county,
the Archives regularly appears with travelling- and temporary exhibitions.