'Maximum of Information'-'Minimum of Records':Collection Building Policy in the Work of Director of Department of National Archives and Chief Directors of State Archives(1945-1989)

The policy of accumulation of archives in the Polish Republic of People between 1945 and 1989 depended on many factors, including the attitudes of the Director of Department of National Archives and Chief Directors of State Archives, his political opinions, education, professional experience and knowledge of archives. The policy of accumulation of archives was connected with political realities, and selection and evaluation of records. In this period two methods of evaluation were applied: the list of records of institution andposteriori. In archival legislation of this time the list of records was preferred, while the assessment wasn’t as popular. The list of records was seen as a simple and cost-effective method. However, it lead to the formation of formalistic and bureaucratic system, which wasn’t perfect. In this system many errors and inconsistencies occurred, which was indicated in archival legislation and in archival literature. This formalistic and bureaucratic system was close to the communist state’s ideology. archival assessment. The list of records was the evaluation a priori, the archival assessment