Successful deacidification campaign in the Dessau-Roßlau municipal archive
In autumn 2018, the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament approved a “Concept for the Preservation of Written Cultural Property”. On this basis, the state of Saxony-Anhalt began funding measures in 2020 to preserve the written cultural property preserved by archives, libraries and museums. Funding was provided in particular for measures to deacidify cultural property. With the approval of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the State of Saxony-Anhalt was also able to use previously unused funds from the Wall Property Fund to finance initial measures. No contribution was required from the institutions’ owners. In addition, the State Archive of Saxony-Anhalt acted as project management agency and coordinated all necessary measures.
The Dessau-Roßlau City Archive also wanted to take advantage of this generous offer. The archive applied for the funding and received a positive decision. Thus, the following holdings could be deacidified in two measures in February to April and in December 2020: A 1.2 – Magistrate of the City of Dessau (1885-1945), A 2.80 – Dept. of the Interior (1945-1990, partial holdings) and A 2.01 – Lord Mayor (1945-1968, partial holdings). The processed holdings comprise 61.40 linear metres with 4,288 units of description. They are very frequently used core holdings of the municipal records. They document the entire range of the city’s administrative activities as well as the activities and administrative decisions of the Lord Mayor of Dessau and the departments responsible for order and security in the city.
Information can be found on democratisation and denazification in the post-war period and contacts with the occupying powers and the district and state administration, as well as on incorporation and disincorporation, reconstruction, culture, street naming, justice and police, trade and supply, industry and crafts, agriculture and forestry, transport, social welfare and health care.
No deficiencies were found during the random quality checks carried out after the returns. From the point of view of the Dessau-Roßlau Municipal Archives, these were successfully completed projects that made an important contribution to preservation. The deacidified holdings are now fully usable again.
