Cologne Archive: After the Disaster

Posted by admin on Apr 8, 2009

The collapse of the Cologne city archive three weeks ago wasn’t just a personal tragedy for the historians and contributors involved, it was a disaster for Germany’s cultural history, says Bettina Schmidt-Czaia, director of the municipal depository. Evacuated from the building mere seconds before it caved in, she describes watching northern Europe’s largest collection of documents and artefacts, many of which date back to Roman times, disappear into rubble.

“I had gone into work feeling really positive that day. Everything’s on its way, I said to myself. We had achieved so much over the past three years: technical standards had improved, we had employed some new workers and opened up the institution to a wider public. After lunch I even went to buy myself some flowers, because I felt so satisfied.

Back at work I put the flowers on my desk and met a guest to discuss a congress we were going to lead some weeks later. Suddenly the alarm went off. We were told to leave the building at once. I didn’t have time to question the seriousness of the situation, I just went outside as fast as I could.”

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