Filing
The history of files (also: Aktenlehre) is a historical auxiliary science that deals with the forms and the origin of the late medieval and modern files . The focus is on official documents. It adopts some of its methods from diplomacy , but has built its own teaching building since Heinrich Otto Meisner . Filing provides the basis for a source-critical study of files. She questions every document with special criteria.
The records are divided into:
- the analytical filing
- genetic records and
- the systematic filing.
Analytical filing studies the internal and external forms of the files. The external analysis deals, for example, with the paper used, the type of closure used, the writing material and writing instrument. Inner analytics deals with the structure of what is written. The genetic filing examines the creation process of the files within the authority and deals with the various notes. The systematic history of files sets up a typology of files with clear guidelines.
Beginning of filing up to the 18th century
In the course of the 13th century more and more other documents from the most varied of governmental and social areas appeared. In contrast to the documents, these do not contain any legal issues. The increase in the number of documents is due in particular to the development of the urban system and the princely rule. In this way the first type of organized administrative administration emerged, for whose work written records played a major role. In addition, with the help of these records, everyday business could be simplified and, on request, reported to the sovereign. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the administrative system developed in such a way that it was granted more and more powers, with which the filing system increased.
The filing system in the 18th century
In the 18th century, the collegial system prevailed in the authorities. Incoming documents are therefore not processed by individual officials, but by a college. This college met several times a week to discuss the documents received. The purpose of these meetings was to consider a decision on the document received. The resolution is used to respond to a letter or an oral request. It can be recorded directly on the document to be answered or in a so-called log book. It is also possible to have a single official answer. This official or also the speaker provides information about the received document. Both the resolution and the information form a concept that a secretary should use to create a fair copy. This concept can u. U. contain various notes. These are:
- Design note
- Audit note
- Oral or manufacturing note
- Fee note
- Departure note
Once the fair copy has been made, the signatures of the entire college are used for authentication. If the fair copy has been sent, one speaks of the copy. If the copy is not to be placed on the recipient's files, the process starts anew there. In addition to the fair copy, a copy can be made, which can be created for different purposes (further processing, private interest, etc.) and at different times.
In the 18th century there are a multitude of documents that can be edited. These are:
- Instructions (privileges, edicts, rescripts, handwriting, cabinet orders)
- Reports
- Supplics
- Notification letter
- Internal records
The filing system in the 19th century
The administrative apparatus was fundamentally restructured due to innovations. An authority was from now on divided into departments and offices. There was a pyramidal hierarchy there. The collegial system of the 18th century was first reformed and then abolished. The processing of the individual documents took too much time and the system did not do justice to the increasing specialization. The so-called presidential system has therefore replaced the collegial system. With him, a change took place towards the objective distribution of business and responsible individual management. The “boss” was from now on the real superior of all officials of the authorities and had the main decision-making power and authority. The documents received were now processed by assigned officials, the relevance of the document determining the rank of the official who dealt with it. As a result, the important and rare concerns were dealt with by the head of the authority / department himself. The process of processing within the authority remains similar to that in the 18th century. Only the information and / or concept, which was now also called the draft, could be omitted or replaced by copies and carbon copies (typewriter). From now on, the notes could also be placed directly on the copy. These are:
- Design note
- Drawing note
- Manufacturing note
- Comparison note
- Submission note
- Fee note
- Repeat note
- zd A. (to the files) or ad acta - available
The rest of the process is the same as in the 18th century. Whereby the entire board no longer signs for certification, but only the exhibitor in the name of his superior.
In the 19th century there are a variety of documents that can be edited. These are:
- Instructions (laws, statutory ordinances, administrative ordinances, orders to citizens and non-governmental institutions, orders to authorities)
- Reports
- Requests and complaints
- Notification letter
- Internal records
Others
Because of their very independent external form and because of their character as a systematic compilation of a multitude of individual information, the official books are now being researched separately from the files from the official library research.
Web links
- Filing. File reading as a historical auxiliary science (research blog )
- Southwest German archival studies (subject module in LEO-BW )
literature
- Heinrich Otto Meisner: Archival studies from the 16th century to 1918 . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1969.
- Friedrich Beck , Eckart Henning : The archival sources. With an introduction to the historical auxiliary sciences . 5th revised edition, Böhlau, Cologne / Weimar / Vienna 2012.
- Jürgen Kloosterhuis : Official records of the modern age. An auxiliary scientific compendium . In: Archives for Diplomatics , Volume 45, 1999, p. 465 ff. ( Online )
- Michael Hochedlinger: Records. Document and file theory of modern times . Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, Cologne 2009, ISBN 978-3486589337 ( online examples )