Arkistotoimen organisointi Suomen senaatissa kaksi vuosisataa sitten

Abstract

The paper deals with the organization of records and archives management in the middle of 1810s at the Senate, i. e. the supreme administrative board of the Grand Duchy of Finland, belonging to the Russian Empire. Also the reasons why the creation of the position of an archivist at the Senate was proposed by the Senate to the Emperor-Grand Duke Alexander I are dealt with. Likewise the administrative process resulting in the appointment of the first archivist is described. The new position of archivist at the Senate formed the embryo of the National Archives of Finland in our days. The international, especially Swedish and Russian background, to the establishment of this position is also described. It becomes evident why the new position got the title “archivist” (in Swedish: arkivarie), not “actuary” (in Swedish: aktuarie). In the Russian administration an archivist was responsible for the preservation of noncurrent and semi-current records but in the Swedish administration this title was very seldom used in the beginning of the 19th century. There actuaries were in charge of the preservation of noncurrent and semi-current records.