Metadata: Spanish Vice-consulate in Jaffa
Collection
- Country:
- Spain
- Holding institution:
- General Archive of the Administration
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archivo General de la Administracion
- Postal address:
- Calle Paseo de Aguadores 2. 28871 - Alcala de Henares
- Phone number:
- +34 918 892 950
- Email:
- aga@cultura.gob.es
- Reference number:
- ES.28005.AGA/5.5.1.1.2
- Title:
- Spanish Vice-consulate in Jaffa
- Title (official language):
- Viceconsulado de España en Jaffa
- Creator/accumulator:
- Spanish Vice-consulate in Jaffa
- Date(s):
- 1890/1950
- Language:
- Spanish; Castilian
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
This collection is made up of documents produced and received by the Spanish Vice-consulate in Jaffa. The documentation comprises the period 1890 to 1950, so we have information regarding Palestine and the State of Israel.
The collection can be divided into three sections:
1) Correspondence (1897-1947): correspondence with the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem, foreign vice-consulates, the General Consul of Spain, British authorities, and public and private companies. In these letters, we can find information concerning various countries (such as Italy, Romania, and France) and other issues. There is information about a Sephardic Confederation in Amsterdam.
2) Juridical Affairs and Accounting: correspondence with different countries (Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland); inventories; receipts; certificates; interests of Italian subjects from Ethiopia; etc. In particular, there is abundant information about World War I and World War II: certificates of nationality of Greek protected people and subjects (1910-1933); Italian citizens under Spanish protection (1940-45); the Geneva Convention on war prisoners (1919-1945); the Palestinian government and lists of prisoners and internees of German, Italian, Romanian and Bulgarian interest (1940-1945); war prisoners and internees and German concentration camps (1940-1945); visits to internees and war prisoners (1939-1945); Italian war prisoners and Italian citizens outside concentration camps (1940-1945).
3) Protection of foreign interests: nationality, passports, protected registers, etc.
- Archival history:
- The collection entered the Spanish General Archive of the Administration from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Bourbon dynasty initiated an administrative reform in Spain. The instrument used for this purpose was the Office Secretary. In 1705, the Universal Office Secretary was divided in two parts: one would be responsible for War-Financial matters and another for the rest. In 1714, these Secretaries (Ministries) became four: State, War, Navy-Indies, and Justice. The Secretary of State and the Office of State Affairs were in charge of foreign affairs. During the 18th century up to the administrative reforms by Javier de Burgos in 1834, the Secretary of State (also known as First Secretary) presided over the Supreme Board of State (Junta Suprema de Estado), created by Floridablanca. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Central Administration was composed of five departments: State, War, Navy, Justice, and Finance. In 1830, the Ministry of State was subdivided into Undersecretary, Policy, Correspondence and Accounting. Its responsibilities were increased during this century, and in 1901 it had ten sections. In November 1928, Primo de Rivera eliminated the Ministry, but in 1930, it recovered its administrative independence. Franco’s regime changed the organic structure of the Ministry of State, as well as its traditional name, to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Access, restrictions:
- Free access regulated by the current legal environment on access to Spanish historical archives (law 16/1985 of Spanish Historical Patrimony).
- Finding aids:
- An index is available at the archive [(10)118-002]. Data on the collection are available at the website of the Spanish National Archives (PARES).
- Links to finding aids:
- https://pares.culturaydeporte.gob.es/inicio.html
- Yerusha Network member:
- Spanish National Research Council
- Author of the description:
- Marina Girona Berenguer; ILC, CSIC; October 2019
