Archive recovery
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Salvaging the past
The Cologne City Archives collapsed suddenly on March 3, taking two other buildings with it when the ground beneath the building gave way. Two people were killed and several were injured. Much of the archival material, dating from 922 A.D. to the present, is feared lost forever. “It was a lesson in the fragility of our documentary heritage,” said Landwehr, born near Cologne, located on the west side of Germany. “Even the fortress-like building could not prevent the destruction.” Landwehr was already scheduled to fly to Germany for a research project shortly after the collapse and was able to add on another week to her trip to help sort through the historic carnage. The amount of work to bring material into usable shape and to reassemble what once belonged together will take an estimated 10 to 30 years.
Landwehr was saddened by the loss of Nobel prize laureate Heinrich Böell’s records. He was a post World War II writer and is said to have captured the sentiments of an entire generation. His papers and letters are feared to be entirely destroyed. Other material has been spared and to date thousands of archivists, conservators, historians and other passionate volunteers are participating in the tedious task of recovering what they can. “During the week I was there I worked seven hour shifts assessing materials for fresh mold or dampness and identifying, cleaning and re-packing material,” said Landwehr, who visited the site of the collapsed building every day after her shift to see what progress had been made. “I wore a white hooded suit and mask—very hot, stuffy and hard to breath—meant to protect against mold and dust, but I was still caked in dust within minutes.” Although the recovery work was physically, mentally and emotionally draining she says it was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, professionally and personally.
“I was contributing to a bigger cause and making a difference that will be felt by future generations of users of this unique material,” said Landwehr. “It was an honour to work with people from different countries who all share the same passion, and I was honoured to be able to represent the U of C.”
Landwehr hopes to go back since reassembling the material requires reading knowledge of French and Latin and fluency in German—a unique batch of skills she possesses. The collapsed building received worldwide media coverage. Click here to see a reenactment of the collapse: www.wdr.de/tv/quarks/videos/flashplayer.jsp?mid=29213
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August 4, 2009
