Beamter/Beamtin im Archivdienst (gehobener nichttechnischer Dienst)

Learning locations include: Archive schools (lecture halls, seminar and practice rooms, libraries), federal and state (Bundesland) training institutions (archive and storage rooms, offices), at home (e.g., preparation and follow-up of courses, completing homework).

The amendment to the Federal Career Ordinance came into force on March 17, 2026. It opens up needs-based special access routes to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. A key focus of the reform is the equalization of vocational and academic education. For example, in the higher non-technical administrative service and the higher scientific service, access is now also possible for individuals with vocational further training qualifications such as Bachelor Professional or Master Professional.

The job type is a civil servant training (Beamtenausbildung); there may be different career designations in individual federal states (Bundesland). The training type consists of a Studium (university study) at archive schools with practical study sections at federal or state training institutions. The degree is a Diplom. The duration is usually 3 years. Civil servants in the higher archive service advise federal public bodies on the management of their documents. They review materials submitted by authorities or offered by associations, parties, and private individuals. If necessary, in cooperation with scientific archivists of the higher service, they decide what will be accepted and preserved. They manage archival collections and documentation, register archival material, digitize written documents, image, or sound documents, and ensure the professional storage of archival materials in the repositories. To make the holdings accessible to the public, they create, for example, (online) finding aids and card indexes.

3 years

The selection process tests, for example, whether the participants have good knowledge of German history, a good general education, logical, structural, analytical thinking skills, and good linguistic expression. Concentration ability, communication behavior, and resilience are also assessed.

The structure of a Studium (university study) in the higher archive service is as follows: Internship I and II at the training archive (with practice-accompanying lessons): 5 months. Specialist Studium I at the University of Public Administration in Rhineland-Palatinate (Mayen) or another university offering a basic administration Studium: 3 months. Internship III at the training archive (with practice-accompanying lessons): 4 months. Specialist Studium II at the Marburg Archive School - University of Archival Science: 18 months. Mid-term examination during Specialist Studium II. Internship IV at the training archive (with practice-accompanying lessons): 6 months. Career examination. Total Studium (university study) duration: 3 years.

No Studium (university degree) fees are charged. Travel expenses or costs for learning materials may arise. If accommodation is provided at the educational institutions, additional costs may also be incurred.

Theoretical study sections, e.g.: Archival science (Fundamentals of archival science, Fundamentals of tradition formation and indexing, Digital archiving, Collection preservation and archival law, Legal and technical framework conditions for the work of archives, Introduction to archive-related work areas), Auxiliary historical sciences (Introduction to auxiliary historical sciences, Analysis and processing of German, Latin, and French-language documents), History (with a focus on constitutional and administrative history, German and general history, institutional history). Practical study sections impart professional knowledge and experience.

One should be prepared for the following conditions and requirements: During the theoretical study sections: Lectures (attend lectures and seminars in the lecture halls and seminar rooms of the universities of applied sciences/universities for public administration and archive schools), Practical exercises (e.g., analyze German, English, Latin, and French-language documents, apply digital archiving techniques), Independent work (prepare and review lectures, research in libraries, prepare presentations, complete homework assignments - also during lecture-free periods), Organization (e.g., adhere to given deadlines for presentations and homework assignments). During the practical study sections: Practical collaboration (under guidance) (e.g., advise archive users, answer inquiries, index archival material, make documents available for use), Practice-oriented courses (deepen specialist knowledge), Key qualifications (e.g., problem-solving).

Monthly gross basic salary for civil service candidates in federal authorities: 1,744 Euros. Exemplary monthly gross basic salary for civil service candidates in state (Bundesland) authorities: 1,549 Euros. Sources: Federal Civil Service Remuneration Act (BBesG), State Civil Service Remuneration Acts. Note: In addition to the basic salary, civil service candidate remuneration includes capital-forming benefits, and possibly also family allowances and other allowances, remunerations, and surcharges.

In-depth knowledge in the following school subjects is a good prerequisite for a successful Studium (university degree): History (e.g., to index archival material and classify it historically), German (e.g., to prepare and give presentations or to advise archive users), English/French/Latin etc. (e.g., to analyze foreign-language documents - including English, Latin, or French), Computer Science (e.g., to understand the digitization of sources, digital long-term archiving, and digital archive systems).

The following alternatives are available for the profession of civil servant in the higher archival service (Beamter/Beamtin im gehobenen Archivdienst): Field of Law and Administration (Civil Servant in General Internal Administration - higher non-technical service). Commonality: Planning and organizing administrative processes. Field of Print and Media (Book Studies - undergraduate). Commonality: Analyzing historical book publications. Field of Archive, Library, and Documentation (Archival Science - undergraduate, Civil Servant in Library Services - higher non-technical service, Library and Information Science - undergraduate). Commonality: Managing, securing, and making archive or library collections accessible to users.

In 2015, the regulation on the preparatory service for the higher archive service of the federal government came into force. In 2019, a new version of this regulation was enacted. During this period, institutions such as the Federal Archives, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, and the Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic joined the recruiting authorities.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) in the higher archive service is conducted as a Vorbereitungsdienst (preparatory service) and usually lasts 3 years. It is primarily organized as a Diplomstudium (diploma study) and regulated by ordinances of the federal government or the Bundesländer (federal states). The Ausbildung concludes with a Laufbahn-/Diplomprüfung (career/diploma examination).

This Studium (university study) is regulated by federal law and, in the mentioned Bundesländer (federal states), by state law, leading to the following Abschluss-/Berufsbezeichnungen (degree/professional titles): In the federal context, Berlin, Bremen, Hessen, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schleswig-Holstein: Diplom-Archivar/Archivarin; Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt: Diplom-Archivar (FH)/Archivarin (FH). Example Laufbahnbezeichnungen (career titles) include Beamter/Beamtin - Archivdienst (gehobener Dienst), Beamter/Beamtin - Archivdienst (Laufbahngruppe 2, erstes Einstiegsamt), and similar. These titles may vary depending on the Bundesland or federal authority. The responsible bodies determine whether the career path is offered as a Studium.

After their Studium (university study), civil servants in the higher archive service primarily work in federal and state archives. They can keep their specialized knowledge current or update it through Anpassungsweiterbildung (adaptive further training). The spectrum of topics ranges from archival science to administrative law. With appropriate aptitude, civil servants in the higher archive service have the opportunity to move to the next higher career path after a successful Aufstiegsverfahren (promotion procedure). Furthermore, pursuing an advanced Studium (postgraduate study), such as a Master's degree in archival science, can also be considered.

The Studium (university study) for civil service careers is regulated by the federal government and the Bundesländer (federal states) in their own ordinances. The respective provisions may differ. At the federal level, the Ordinance on the Preparatory Service for the Higher Archive Service of the Federal Government (GArchDVDV) came into force in 2019 and was amended in 2026. At the state level, there are regulations such as the Training and Examination Regulations for the Higher Archive Service in Baden-Württemberg from 2014 and the Ordinance on the Archival Focus in Bavaria from 2014.

The prerequisite is the Fachhochschulreife (qualification for university of applied sciences) or the allgemeine Hochschulreife (general university entrance qualification), or a comparable educational qualification. Applicants must also generally demonstrate English language skills at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, as well as adequate knowledge of French or Latin. Depending on the Bundesland (federal state), good historical knowledge and basic knowledge in information technology may also be required.