In the former nuclear bunker ‘de Noodzetel’, the Municipality of The Hague has opened a unique new archive repository for the Municipal Archives of The Hague (HGA). Five ultra-modern depots have been set up, providing over four kilometers of additional archive space. This makes the HGA one of the safest and most advanced repositories in the Netherlands.
The new spaces, collectively named Depot N, are located on level -1 of the bunker complex at Schedeldoekshaven. Alderwoman Saskia Bruines (Heritage) opened the new depot: “This bunker was once built to keep people safe in times of crisis. Now, here we protect the memory of the city for future generations. We desperately need the extra space. Beneath City Hall, we already have twenty kilometers of shelf space for The Hague Municipal Archives, but that capacity is almost fully utilized. With Depot N, we gain an additional 4,136 meters of shelf space.”
Modern archival preservation
Depot N meets the highest standards for archive preservation. All five depots are equipped with an oxygen reduction system, keeping the oxygen level so low that fire is virtually impossible to start. Even a small lighter flame is extinguished instantly.
Four storage facilities are constantly kept at 19 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 50 percent. The specially designed film storage facility, also known as the ‘cold vault’, remains permanently at five degrees and 35 percent humidity. Thanks to these conditions, films can be preserved for hundreds of years.
In addition, the complex features modern installations for fire safety, water detection, and air handling, energy-efficient LED lighting, and a connection to district heating and thermal energy storage.
From government bunker to city treasury
The bunker was built in the mid-1970s as a nuclear shelter for the central government. The complex had room for 206 civil servants who could stay there for months in the event of a disaster. With walls 80 centimeters thick and a one-meter reinforced concrete ceiling, the bunker was considered one of the safest places in the Netherlands.
The former emergency headquarters is now being repurposed as a secure storage facility for special collections from The Hague. In the coming months, the civil registry of The Hague, an extensive film collection, and the archives of the Hague Nutsspaarbank, among others, will be transferred to Depot N.
Opening with a special archival document
Alderman Bruines officially opened Depot N by placing the first archival document in the depot. It concerns an inventory list of the possessions of philosopher Baruch Spinoza from 1677, originating from notarial archives in The Hague.
Spinoza lived his final years on the Paviljoensgracht in The Hague, where he worked on his famous philosophical works on liberty, ethics, and democracy.
—
Photos: Martijn Beekman / Municipality of The Hague.
Sam Hermans: Director of Library and Archives
Esther Trapman: Manager The Hague Municipal Archives
