Ministerstvo zahraničných vecí

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established after the declaration of independence of the Slovak State (March 14, 1939 ) based on Law no. 4/1939 Sl.z. and the process of its creation was completed in the middle of 1939. The structure of the ministry stabilized in 1941, when the ministry was divided into the following departments: Diplomatic Protocol Department I. Political, Department II. Organizational, Department III. Administrative law, Division IV. National economy. Foreign Ministry initially managed: The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Berlin Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Bern, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Budapest, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Madrid, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Moscow, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Rome, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Sofia, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Warsaw, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in the Vatican, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Zagreb Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Prague, Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Vienna, Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Belgrade, Slovak repatriation commission in Brussels, Slovak repatriation commission in Paris, Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Milan. Apart from the above-mentioned diplomatic missions, some others were established later and included in the fond (Helsinki, Stokholm etc.). Archival material of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consists of the internal documents of the ministry as well as of the documents of Slovak diplomatic missions (1939 – 1945) abroad.

The fond was obtained to Slovak National Archive´s predecessor in 1965. The Slovak National Archive obtaineed the fond in 1965. The material was originally supposed to be organized chronologically and numerically, but the archivists found out that during the handling of files at the ministry, this principle had not been followed consistently. Therefore during the arrangement they kept only basic principles of this system (original register) and subsequently sorted materials within specific departments according to topic groups. As far as the agenda of the diplomatic missions was concerned, the agenda of passports and visas, as well as individuals was sorted in alphabetical order and the rest of agenda was sorted according to topic groups. Later, in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century additional documents (separated from other archival fond within the archive or donated by private individuals and foreign legal entities) were allocated into the original fond where appropriate. This process was finished by the creation of additional inventory reflecting only the additions to the original fond. Thus two separate finding aids for this fond are available in the Slovak National Archive today.

Archival documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was obtained from the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague in 1964. Later, in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century additional documents (separated from other archival fond within the SNA or donated by private individuals and foreign legal entities) were allocated to the original fond where appropriate.