About the Mission and Diakonia Archives

The Mission and Diakonia Archives was established with the foundation of VID in 2016, continuing the operations of two former entities: the Mission Archives and the Diakonia Archives. 

The Mission Archives originated from the organizational archive of The Norwegian Mission Society (NMS) founded in Stavanger in 1842. Beginning in the mid-1960s, NMS started a systematic effort to organize its historical archival materials at its headquarters, and the NMS Archive was placed in the new building of the Mission College in 1983. This laid the groundwork for offering services as an open research archive for users from both within Norway and abroad. 

Gradually, the collection was expanded with material from various districts and institutions within NMS, as well as archives from individuals and families associated with the mission organization. It also received material from organizations linked to the academic activities of the Mission School. 

The expanded collection was the primary reason for the name change to the Mission Archives in 2008. In 2011, the Mission Archives took over the management of the Mission Museum, which was established as Stavanger's first museum in 1864. Since 2005, the Mission Archives has received operational support through the national budget. 

The Diakonia Archives began as a joint initiative between the Diakonhjemmet Foundation and the former Diakonhjemmet University College in Oslo. The foundation has made significant contributions to, among other things, archival repository and projects for organizing and cataloging. Funding has also been received upon application to the Department of Culture and the National Archives. 

Since 2018, the Mission and Diakonia Archives also encompasses the historical archives of the Diakonova Haraldsplass Foundation and the Betanien Foundation. 

National Responsibility for Mission and Diakonia, Christian Churches, and Organizations 

To ensure the preservation of Norwegian private archives, the National Archives enters into agreements with organizations that undertake to coordinate the work with archives within specific societal areas. This is part of the National Archives' efforts to ensure comprehensive documentation of society. 

In June 2019, the Mission and Diakonia Archives entered into an agreement with the National Archives to coordinate the work of preserving and making accessible historical archives linked to the mission and diakonia movements in Norway. In the fall of 2020, the responsibility was expanded to include Christian churches and organizations. See the Preservation Plan for Private Archives in the National Archives.

The Mission and Diakoni Archive has developed a national preservation plan for archives from the mission and diakonia movements, Christian churches, and organizations. 

Global Responsibility of the Mission and Diakonia Archives 

Historically, the mission and diakonia movements in Norway are transnational movements. The archives in our collection have been created by organizations with global activities and partners around the world. This also means that large portions of the material originate from countries other than Norway. 

The Mission and Diakonia Archives has been involved in several projects aimed at making historical documents, photographs, and films accessible to international partners. The Mission and Diakonia Archives also participates in international archival networks and provides partners with professional archival guidance.