University archive of the Technical University of Dresden

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Archives in the university archive

The university archive of the Technical University of Dresden has been a central institution of the university since its foundation , which simultaneously handles administrative tasks but also scientific tasks.

history

Well before 1945 there were various registries in the university administration, the departments and the faculties that were established from 1941 onwards. As early as 1855, the then polytechnic school stipulated the use of a travel agent to manage the archive. This ensured a certain central archiving of important school and university documents.

The archive had to cope with the greatest loss of archive material due to the effects of the war in February 1945. The gaps in the transmission of important information that arose at this point in time cannot be closed in some cases to this day.

With the resumption of study in 1946 and the further expansion of research and teaching, the administrative work grew very quickly. The organization of the records management and the verification of important university documents therefore became more and more important. With the creation of a university archive, the essential documents were systematically taken over and filed. In addition, the remaining holdings of various old registries could now be concentrated, processed and archived in one central location.

As in the other university archives of the GDR, the further development of the university archive and archive work was in line with the archiving legislation (from 1951) and the archiving system in the GDR. In this context, a specialist was hired for the first time to organize and list the archives. The university archive of the Technical University of Dresden was officially opened on May 1, 1952 as the university archive of what was then the Technical University of Dresden as a central and independent institution. On the basis of scheduled file transfers from the structures of the university or the university that was established in 1961, the archive grew continuously. Fundamental tools for the systematic and uniform indexing of archive holdings were, above all, the principles of order and description for archives in the GDR.

With the political change in 1990, the work of archivists increased significantly. In addition to large file transfers from dissolved scientific institutions in the Dresden area, a flood of diverse inquiries (about pension calculations, study records, types of studies, rehabilitation and scientific topics) had to be dealt with. At the same time, there was a sharp increase in scientific uses.

The introduction of personal computers and the development of the Internet brought about profound changes in the range of activities of archivists. Associated with this was, on the one hand, the possibility of a much more intensive indexing and indexing of the archival contents and, on the other hand, the better presentation of the archive and its tasks to the public. A variety of databases (including those relating to alumni) could be set up and made accessible to interested users on the Internet. Important finding aids and repositories can now be viewed and researched online or can be made available via the Internet if required. To support scientific questions, reference overviews are made available by email. This gives the questioner the opportunity to get an overview of the relevant archive material and to select documents to be viewed in advance, even before use. In the future, long-term archiving and thus permanent preservation and access to important digital information as well as digitally available records will be an essential field of activity for archivists. The information sciences are therefore becoming an important focus of activity for archivists.

For years, the university archive has been actively involved in the continuation and maintenance of the central database of the papers of the Federal Archives . Participation in the archive portal Germany is also being set up.

Stocks

The entire inventory of the university archive today comprises around 7,000 running meters (running meters) of archival units as well as drawings and plans, around 500,000 negatives, prints and slides. The total volume of student files alone has grown to over 500,000 files since 1945. Extensive collections (such as the medal collection) or special inventories on the university's history and an archive library are other important tools for researching the complex history of the academic institution.

In the course of the dissolution or the integration of scientific institutions, especially in the Dresden area, a large number of holdings of integrated institutions were taken over. Newly added are digital copies to be stored long-term and extensive databases.

The time span of the entire inventory extends roughly from 1810 to the year 2000 and depicts the development of the TU Dresden from the technical educational institute on Brühl's terrace to the modern university in its written records. The archive is a public institution and can be viewed by interested users after submitting an application. Scientific inquiries and uses are free of charge. The university archive also provides copies and scans (digital copies).

In order to be able to completely document the written records of the university in the future, the archive is dependent on the continuous handing over of files by the file creators (registrars) in its area of ​​responsibility. In addition, personal documentation, bequests and bequests from former academics, outstanding alumni or other important personalities who were closely connected to the university are recorded.

The Federal Archives Act, the Archives Act of the State of Saxony, the Cultural Property Protection Act, copyright law and the Data Protection Act form the legal framework for the work of archivists.

Archive tectonics and inventory structure in the archive of the TU Dresden

Photo album around / after 1867 in the estate of Prof. Pressler from Tharandt

Memberships of the University Archives

Web links

See also