What sources are stored in an archive?

Which sources hold an archive depends on the owner or Support of the archive. In a large state archive such as the Bavarian Main State Archive, you will find the full range of sources: documents, files, official books, maps and plans, photos, films and tapes as well as files and databases. The tradition begins in the Middle Ages (8th century) with the documents and extends up to the digital documents of the 21st century. Century. In addition, you can also find three-dimensional objects with a direct reference to written documents: architectural models such as the model of the Olympic grounds in Munich, confiscated objects such as card games or firearms, seeds in small paper bags or material samples, which were attached to the files for illustration.

In principle, sources can be distinguished according to their external appearance and according to their content or purpose. In the past, the documents available in an archive were combined with the trination of “deeds, official books and files”. However, this is not completely complete. For example, you will find maps and plans that have often arisen in connection with disputes. For example, if two parties could not agree, a plan of the disputed property, territory, border or crime scene was drawn and taken to the files.

Certificates are important to the right and the oldest sources. They confirm a contract or documented another legal transaction. The result is recorded in writing and kept safe as proof.

Official Journals by administrative trade. They follow the documents and are already known in the Middle Ages. If, for example, a landlord requests and drives charges from his landlords, this is recorded in a book with numbered pages. It would appear immediately when pages are torn out. Both sides have a legally binding evidence of the paid debt.

Documents, maps and plans will be added in the new administration. Files are used in authorities and courts as memory support, maps and plans to illustrate relationships. An act consists of single-letters belonging to one another. They can be loose or stapled. Maps and plans were placed as required.

With the invention of book printing, the birth hour of the leaflets. The main purpose was political agitation and advertising, rare official announcements. Since the industrial production of cheap paper, it became a mass medium.The flyer develops into a poster, and the pure text poster develops into an image poster. Posters and leaflets are conscriptions, which are usually printed on bad paper. They were read and thrown away or glued on and overcoated again. In times without television, radio and Internet they were an important information medium. For reasons of security and order policy, local authorities have always dealt with posters and leaflets and secured them. Like private individuals, archives began at the turn of 19 to 20. Century to collect these printing works. This activity was intensified in the 20th century.

Relatively young sources photos, sound and video recordings. Their history begins in the 19th century. At the turn from 19 to 20 Century photography becomes affordable for everyone and thus becomes a widespread documentation technology. Today more is photographed and filmed than ever. However, the photo and the film as an analog carrier medium have largely been used. Glass plates, photo- and film-negative, exposed photos, sound and video recordings and digitalisates share the problem of durability. The worst threat to get is chemical changes and degradation processes.

One of the biggest challenges for the archives is currently in the field of Digital documents (files, e-mail accounts, databases, electronic files, e-publications and digital image collections). Since the 1980s, justice and administration have been conducting digital documents. Since the turn of the millennium, this change has accelerated: government and administration become the “eGovernment” to take account of a digitally shaped society and economy. Here, too, there is the problem of availability of storage media, data formats, drives, hardware and software, simply media diversity. If the timely transfer is missed, the complete loss of information threatens. Analog photos can still be viewed directly, but suitable playback devices are needed for sound and video recordings; files are useless without appropriate hardware and software.

For the classification of analogue genera of written tradition, there have been long standards of archival science and source science. On the other hand, digital writing is still in the river.

Archives of scientific institutions such as the archives of the Institute of Contemporary History, University Archives, as well as Economic Archives have other priorities. Here you will find examination documents, patents, advertising posters, design drawings, publications or estates of scientists or executives. With Discounts are usually the written documents of important personalities. Discounts reflect the opinion and attitude of the estate agent and thus provide a personal view of the past. The administrative files of the public authorities are thus supplemented. For this reason (purchase, donation, landfilling) also acquire state archives estates, mostly by politicians or persons whose activities were significant for state and society.