Archiwa narodowe Ugandy i Rwandy
National archives of Rwanda and Uganda

Summary/Abstract: Archives in the countries of the African Great Lakes region (Uganda, Rwanda, parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi) were created by the colonial administration. This involved the introduction by Europeans in the protectorates and colonies of the region, more effectively than the Arabs had attempted in pre-colonisation times, of a written form of communication, a departure from the previously widespread culture of oral transmission. As a result of their efforts, the first schools created on the European model were established in the colonies. The first books were also published in print. In addition, the colonial authorities began to collect a large number of documents produced by the administration. Due to the unfavourable climate, a large part of them were destroyed, and even more were lost irretrievably as a result of rebellions, especially during the period of individual states’ independence and post-colonial conflicts. Most of the remaining material was hurriedly tranferred to Europe by the outgoing colonial authorities, preventing it from being taken over by the administrations of the newly independent states. Because of this, a large number of Africans still explore and study the archives of Belgium or Britain. However, the surviving archives, which are currently preserved in the national archives of the these countries, represent a priceless wealth of information, particularly because they are rare records that cannot be found in Europe and greatly advance our understanding of the local communities. In 1962, Rwanda and Uganda became independent states. Though the origins of the organizations and their assets may be traced back to earlier periods, the histories of the state archives in both states begin at that point. This article’s goal is to provide a quick overview of the history, significant organizational changes, formal and legal foundations, and functioning, as well as the characteristics of resources.

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