The UNESCO Executive Board endorsed the inscription of a total of 75 archival collections from the period of the Republic of Dubrovnik (1022-1808), or the Republic of Ragusa, on the Memory of the World register.
The collections are preserved at the State Archives in Dubrovnik, and they enable a detailed study of Dubrovnik's past, the lifestyle of old Dubrovnik residents and provide a wealth of information about the state and legal system of Dubrovnik. The continuity and quantity of the preserved material, its age and value, make the archival holdings from the period of the Republic of Dubrovnik one of the richest in this part of Europe.
The oldest original document is the papal bull of Pope Benedict VIII addressed in 1022 to the then Archbishop of Dubrovnik, Vital.
The final decision on the inscription of the archival collections from the period of the Republic of Dubrovnik (1022-1808) on the Memory of the World register will be announced at the UNESCO General Assembly in November 2023.
The Memory of the World (MoW) Register lists documentary heritage which has been recommended by the International Advisory Committee, and endorsed by the Executive Board, as corresponding to the selection criteria regarding world significance and outstanding universal value.