Section 1: Right of use

Records kept in the Political Archives of the Federal Foreign Office (Section 10 of the Foreign Service Act of 30 August 1990, Federal Law Gazette I pp 1842-1848) are freely accessible for use on request in accordance with the provisions of the Protection and Use of Federal Archives Act (Federal Archives Act) of 6 January 1988, Federal Law Gazette I pp 62-64, and with the present Regulations.

Section 2: Type of use

(1) Records may be used in any of the following ways:

• Originals or copies of records may be presented,
• Reproductions of records may be provided,
• Information on the content of records may be given.

The type of use shall be decided by the Federal Foreign Office.

(2) The original copies of international treaties, agreements and arrangements may not be used. Records which are required for official purposes or which cannot be made available on account of their state of arrangement or repair may be excluded from use temporarily.

(3) The Political Archives of the Federal Foreign Office may be used for reference only; records may not be borrowed.

Section 3: Conditions for use

(1) Applications to use the Political Archives shall be made in writing to the Federal Foreign Office stating the subject, purpose, date and probable duration of the intended research. If requested to do so by the Federal Foreign Office, applicants shall identify themselves and show why they need to use the records, in particular by furnishing certificates.

In the case of dissertations, applicants are requested to submit a recommendation by the lecturer supervising their thesis.

Aliens shall enclose with their application a letter of introduction from their country’s diplomatic mission in the Federal Republic of Germany.

(2) Assistants may accompany users only if a special application has been submitted and granted. Such assistants shall be named in the application; paragraph 4 shall apply.

(3) The Federal Foreign Office shall decide on applications. Permission may be granted subject to conditions. Records may not be used until written permission has been received.

(4) If the Federal Foreign Office so requires, the applicant shall provide a written undertaking

1. to observe the provisions of the Federal Archives Act and of the present Regulations, as well as the supplementary rules laid down under Section 7 of the present Regulations,
2. to observe when using material from records personal rights and copyright as well as interests of third parties warranting protection and, in cases of infringement of such rights, to absolve the Federal Foreign Office of all liability.

(5) The use of unofficial documents (e. g. estates, reports of events or experiences, documents from private sources, pictures) and shall be subject to restrictions if and in so far as these have been agreed with the previous owner.

(6) If material gleaned from the records is used for subjects or purposes other than those stated in the original application, a new application must be submitted.

Section 4: Due care and attention

The user is obliged to leave the records consulted in the reference rooms, to keep them in the proper order, and not to damage or alter them.

Section5: Disqualification

If a user contravenes the provisions of the Federal Archives Act or of the present Regulations or the supplementary rules laid down in section 7 of the present Regulations, he will be disqualified from using the Political Archives of the Federal Foreign Office.

Section 6: Reproduction and publication of records

(1) Copies of records are intended for exclusive use by the person requesting them. They may not be passed on to third persons.

(2) The approval of the Federal Foreign Office shall be required for any verbatim publication of entire documents.

(3) In the case of academic and journalistic use, a copy of each printed or otherwise reproduced publication for which material from the Political Archives has been used shall be transmitted to the Federal Foreign Office unsolicited and free of charge.

Section7: Supplementary rules

The Federal Foreign Office may issue supplementary rules for implementing the present Regulations.

Section 8: Entry into force

These Regulations for the Use of the Political Archives of the Federal Foreign Office shall enter into force on 1 January 1991.