Direction des Archives Nationales de Madagascar

Overview

The Direction des Archives Nationales de Madagascar is the country's national archival authority, located in Antananarivo. Its holdings and management are governed by Law No. 2007-019 of July 27, 2007.

History

The archive's oldest holdings, known as the Royal Archives, cover the period 1824-1897 and were originally assembled at the Queen's Palace (Rova) in Antananarivo, the capital of the Kingdom of Madagascar. These documents, comprising 906 bound archive registers totaling 93,729 pages and including royal edicts, civil status records, and deeds of sale, are considered the only precolonial archives preserved in written form anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their historical importance grew after a 1995 fire destroyed the Rova's royal residences (Anatirova), one of the rare surviving representations of that past. Separately, French colonial-era records concerning Madagascar and nearby French establishments (Sainte-Marie, Nosy Be, Mayotte) from 1785 to 1897 form a distinct historical fonds, organized into four sub-series, some of which are held at the French Archives nationales d'outre-mer.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

Beyond the Royal Archives, the institution's holdings document Madagascar's history from the early nineteenth century, spanning the management of royal power, the end of the monarchy, foreign relations, and socioeconomic change. The archive faces preservation challenges from Madagascar's cyclone-prone climate and from theft or vandalism of materials by readers.

Access and Usage

Records over one hundred years old are generally open for consultation. Consultation of the collection takes place on site following authorization from the Direction. The archive maintains a bindery workshop and has implemented anti-theft measures to better monitor its reading room.