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Mission Statement of the MARCHIVUM

Our mission statement stands for the responsibility towards the history of Mannheim and for the communication of the historical heritage into the present. It stands for a committed and lively dialogue with civil society and places the goal of preserving urban historical documents in the context of active educational and cultural work.

Beginning

Founded as a baroque planned city, Mannheim was once a fortress and royal seat and was always characterised by immigration and ambitious cultural policies. The rise of the commercial and industrial city was rapid in the 19th century, when universal inventions, especially in the field of mobility, established Mannheim's reputation as a place of innovation. Deep wounds were inflicted by the Nazi era: a flourishing Jewish community was destroyed, property was looted, resistance was suppressed. Today, Mannheim is the heart of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, an urban centre whose coexistence with people from over 160 nations is based on tolerance. The starting point of the work of the MARCHIVUM is to preserve this historical heritage of Mannheim, to increase it, to convey it in the present and to pass it on into the future.

The MARCHIVUM as the memory of the city

The historical heritage of Mannheim is crystallised its archival tradition. Whether written testimonies, files, images, printed works, films, records from digital systems or other documents - they all bear witness to historical decisions and to what was once the talk of the town. The MARCHIVUM is Mannheim's central analogue and digital archive. It takes over documents from the city administration and thus secures the rights of the municipality and its citizens and establishes the transparency of municipal administrative actions. However, the MARCHIVUM also wants to do justice to the wealth of urban life and the documentation of political, economic, social, religious and cultural events in Mannheim in a comprehensive manner. For this reason, documents from private sources as well as from companies, associations and other institutions form a further focus of its collection activities.

The MARCHIVUM as a house of education, encounter and research

The MARCHIVUM is the central point of contact for exploring Mannheim's urban and regional history. It supports research and makes documents accessible to everyone within the scope of legal possibilities. In addition, it conducts its own scientific projects and communicates its findings to the public. Through its reading rooms, the city history exhibition and the Nazi Documentation Centre as well as active public relations work, the MARCHIVUM is a lively place of learning and encounter. It regularly offers lectures, guided tours and other events related to Mannheim's city and regional history. The MARCHIVUM offers its services in the city and actively seeks cooperation with various partners. The support of the two sponsoring associations as well as voluntary commitment are indispensable.

The MARCHIVUM shows responsibility

The MARCHIVUM has both an educational and a cultural mission. It promotes an understanding of the past and present of Mannheim and its citizens. In this way, it helps residents identify with their city and strengthens the individual's willingness to act in community solidarity and civic engagement. The MARCHIVUM wants to make history understandable in the sense of its democratic responsibility and accompany social and political action according to the motto "learning from history". This is the basis for its educational work, the Nazi Documentation Centre and the cooperation with the Sandhofen Concentration Camp Memorial.

The MARCHIVUM as a service provider

Visitor orientation and the idea of service are principles of the MARCHIVUM: content is presented in a lively manner, complex contexts are explained in an understandable way, and new media possibilities are explored. The MARCHIVUM offers a variety of services. The spectrum ranges from exhibitions and lectures to research and inquiry services and the digitisation centre. For the city administration, the MARCHIVUM offers modern records management and advice on electronic file management.

The MARCHIVUM as a team

The MARCHIVUM staff members act in different, complementary areas of tasks and responsibilities, each making their own important contribution. These include the acquisition, preservation, digitisation and indexing of archival materials, visitor and customer support, educational and research work, public relations, and the management and administration of the institution. Together, they form a team that is characterised by collegiality and commitment. In this way, each individual contributes to making the MARCHIVUM a friendly and lively institution, both externally and internally.

The MARCHIVUM as part of the city administration

As a municipal institution, the MARCHIVUM is part of a municipal administration that sets itself goals and assumes responsibility. All of the MARCHIVUM's offerings are based on the strategic goals of the city of Mannheim.