Archivist

The Archivist rated, secures and develops mainly written material that is discharged usually by public and private authorities to the archive for long-term storage. Archivist may also be the curator of a scientific or artistic heritage as well as manuscript collections and photographic collections.

Tasks

Prior to the acquisition of archival material, but he consults the legal deposit subject to authorities, agencies and corporate and private dispenser ( Registraturbildner ) in records management. He rated the archive mature records archive by scientific criteria (determination of archival value ). With the acquisition of the archive means incoming mail is from the Registraturgut archives - this is accompanied by a change in the legal area.

Following the acquisition of archival value as well as other written material aufzubewahrender documents (including plans, photographs, films) a content analysis of archival material takes place. The development of the archive is nowadays mainly with appropriate computer programs. During the development of research tools arise (usually finding aids, catalogs or databases ) that facilitate a targeted search for specific information and issues.

Core tasks of an archive are therefore in a logical chronological order:

• Assessment
• Development of information
• Consulting and research
• Provision and evaluation

The Chairman of the Association of German Archivists, ( Vd A ), Michael Diefenbacher, described the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the archives, 2010, for the Kölner Stadt Anzeiger in an interview to collapse "of the most important municipal archives of the country," the tasks of an archive as follows. Want the archives actually preserve as much as possible? No,. Mission of the archives is to evaluate and weed out. Our main task is throwing away. What remains is taken

Archives are increasingly in future take over electronic records. Therefore, the archivists have been concerned for some time reinforced with electronic office systems, and the acquisition and preservation of electronically stored information. The creation of web pages and presentation of archives on the Internet are of growing importance for public relations and user-friendliness.

Many archivists have the opportunity to participate through their own contributions and the support of exhibition projects at the research and discuss the respective parish history or encourage historical topics.

Legal regulations

For the public records of the Federal Government have adopted specific laws on archives ( for the archives of the Federation ) and all federal states in Germany. These are legal and basis for action for the respective archive administrations. Municipal archives have an archive statutes. In the archive laws, the tasks in the library have defined. In addition, there are regulations to public disclosure of archival documents ( protection period ). An archivist is therefore technically experienced in dealing with the application of the data protection law and the application of cultural heritage protection law. In-depth knowledge in the field of administrative law are essential, especially in fields of activity of state and municipal archives.

Even faith communities regulate their archives. An example here is the church law for the Preservation and Use of church archives in the Evangelical Church of the Union.

Use

The use of the archival municipal and state archives is in principle open to everyone. However archive laws of state and federal see some usage restrictions (especially protection periods during which must not be viewed in the archives of the rule) before. The use of archival material made ​​on application. The inspection of the archival material is usually carried out on site.

Professional requirements

Career changers, there should be the future in this area because of the ever growing demands any more. The archivists of State Archives ( State Archives and others) must have completed an archive specialist training ( at least university education). In addition to the archive upscale professional training of the conclusion of the scientific archivist in higher service can be purchased. Prerequisite for this training is already successfully completed a degree and usually the PhD in a relevant field of study. In a few cases (for example in small private or municipal archives ) of the Archive Staff no education, or training to Archive inspector must prove.

In the Free States of Bavaria and Saxony there are in addition to the technical college qualification relevant training for the middle grade.

As a prerequisite for training in the upscale archive service shall apply: High School; good history and general knowledge, complex thinking skills, language skills (English, basic knowledge of Latin, possibly French or Russian), use of modern information and communication technology, accurate operation, communication skills.

Despite significantly increased requirements, the salary classifications for archivists in the public domain move are still at the lower level of potential tariff classifications (EGO Federal / State ).

Training centers in Germany are the Archives School Marburg, the Bavarian Archive School of Munich and the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.