MikkoLipsanen/norwegian-historical-archives-mcp

MCP Server for the Norwegian Historical Archives Search API

This repository contains the code for a prototype MCP server for the Norwegian Historical Archives Search API (https://nye.digitalarkivet.no/api/media-file/). developed during the 2025 Nordic Archives Hackathon in Oslo.

What the MCP server can be used for

The server contains two tools:

• search_index: takes as input a query term and optional start and end dates, and performs a search to all the collections available via the api
• reindeer_search_index: takes as input a query term and optional start and end dates, and performs a search specifically to the Reindriftsforvaltningen Nordland-collection

The server can be used to provide data for LLM, which performs the queries based on user questions. The server can be run locally using for instance Claude Desktop.

Using the server with Claude Desktop

• Create Python virtual environment using for example Conda or UV
• Activate the virtual environment and install libraries listed in the requirements.txt file
• Add the server specification to Claude Desktop's configuration file. The specification should follow the general formula below:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Norwegian Historical Archives Search Server": {
      "command": "/path/to/virtual/environment",
      "transport": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--with",
        "fastmcp",
        "/path/to/mcp-server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• More detailed instructions can be found here