The tradition of keeping and paying special attention to the preservation of decrees, charters and documents of fundamental importance for the work of the Croatian Parliament can be traced throughout the centuries.
By the 16th century the documents were safely stored in the treasury of the Zagreb Kaptol. Already at the beginning of the 16th century, the oldest list of parliamentary documents was created, and in 1643, based on the decision of the Parliament, the famous Chest of Privileges (Cista privilegiorum Regni) was made to preserve the most important documents of the Kingdom. The Chest was transferred from Kaptol in 1764 to the special room of the Assembly Hall in the then National House (Domus Regnicolarus). In 1770 the Parliament also set special measures to protect these areas.
At the end of 1870, the Parliament founded the National Archives for Preservation of Parliamentary and Public Administration Documents. Today, it is the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb that keeps the archives of all central bodies of state government, state administration and public bodies, judiciary, prominent families and individuals. All parliamentary acts have been filed there as well.
Croatian State Archives has filed the following archival units *:
1. Assembly of the Triune Kingdom until 1848
2. Assembly of the Triune Kingdom in the period 1861 - 1918
3. Croatian State Parliament of the Independent State of Croatia 1942
4. State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia, ZAVNOH 1943 -1945
5. Parliament of the People’s Republic of Croatia 1946 - 1963
6. Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia 1963 - 1982 (1990)
7. Chamber of Counties of the Croatian Parliament 1993 - 1997, 1997 - 2001
Archives of the Croatian Parliament keep two archival units:
- Archival material of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia 1982 - 1990
- Archival material of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia / Croatian State Parliament / Croatian Parliament after 1990
Archival material is filed, managed and listed according to the parliamentary terms. When managing material of each term, the following series of materials are formed:
1. Parliamentary acts: all acts passed by the Croatian Parliament during a term concerned in the order specified by the Standing Orders
2. Sessions of the Parliament: minutes, transcripts of sound recordings of sessions, materials by item of agenda of the session
3. Sessions of working bodies (committees, commissions and investigative committees): minutes and materials by item of agenda of the session
4. Working bodies: other items not addressed at a session such as petitions, reports and inquiries
5. Sessions of the Presidency of the Parliament: minutes, transcripts of snapshots of sessions, materials by item of agenda of the session
6. Presidency of the Parliament (Office of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of Parliament): petitions, requests, invitations, sponsorships, delegation visits
7. Meetings and materials of Deputy Clubs: minutes and various items
8. Secretariat: general records.
Archival material can be used for official purposes and for scientific and public research purposes.
Archival materials can be used by parliamentarians and Croatian Parliament Staff Service. The material is issued for temporary use outside the Archives premises, with a return time limited guarantee.
Scientists, journalists and other users should send a written request to the Secretary General of the Croatian Parliament. After the approval, the material is used within the Archives premises.
* Detailed information on the parliamentary archives units can be found in the Croatian State Archives in the work: "Overview of Archival Funds and Collections of the Republic of Croatia", Editor-in-Chief: Josip Kolanović, Volume 1, Croatian State Archives, Zagreb 2006.